The House on Graveyard Lane (Rachel Savernake Golden Age Mysteries, #4) by Martin Edwards

The House on Graveyard Lane (Rachel Savernake Golden Age Mysteries, #4) Reviews

• 
  Sandysbookaday

  EXCERPT: 'I want you to solve my murder,' said the woman in white.
  Rachel Savernake gave a sardonic smile. 'Quite a challenge.'
  'Rumour has it that you seldom refuse a dare.'
  'True,' Rachel said. 'But I anticipate difficulties. You're flesh and blood, an artist who lives and breathes. Not a ghost.'
  'Not yet.'
  
  ABOUT 'SEPULCHRE STREET': How can you solve a murder before it's happened?
  
  'This is my challenge for you,' the woman in white said. 'I want you to solve my murder.'
  
  London, 1930s: Rachel Savernake has been invited to a private view of an art exhibition at a fashionable gallery. The artist, Damaris Gethin, known as 'the Queen of Surrealism', is debuting a show featuring live models pretending to be waxworks of famous killers. Before her welcoming speech, Damaris asks a haunting favour of the amateur sleuth: she wants Rachel to solve her murder. As Damaris takes to a stage set with a guillotine, the lights go out. There is a cry and the blade falls. Damaris has executed herself.
  
  While Rachel questions why Damaris would take her own life - and just what she meant by 'solve my murder' - fellow party guest Jacob Flint is chasing a lead on a glamorous socialite with a sordid background. As their paths merge, this case of false identities, blackmail, and fedora-adorned doppelgängers, will descend upon a grand home on Sepulchre Street, where nothing - and no one - is quite what it seems.
  
  MY THOUGHTS: There's a lot of mystery surrounding the background of the lead character, Rachel Savernake, but it doesn't interfere with the main storyline at all; it's just there, as tantalising as a favourite chocolate that's just out of reach.
  
  Rachel's foil is Jacob Flint, a reporter who, more often than not, gets himself into awkward and sometimes dangerous situations due to his propensity for rushing into situations without properly thinking them through. Jacob is somewhat in awe of Rachel while she tends to treat him like the rather exuberant labrador pup he reminds me of.
  
  There are other interesting characters, not least the wealthy and mysterious Kiki De Villiers, who has a most interesting background which could be a story all on its own.
  
  Sepulchre Street is at times an odd read, but mostly I found it to be a decent mystery and murder-mystery with some puzzling elements. Had the author not felt the need to over-explain things, this would have been a much better read. He gets rather long-winded at times which interferes with the flow of the storyline.
  
  ⭐⭐⭐.5
  
  #SepulchreStreet #NetGalley.
  
  I: @medwardsbooks @headofzeus
  
  T:@MartinEdwarsBooks @HoZ
  
  THE AUTHOR: Martin Edwards has written sixteen contemporary whodunits, including The Coffin Trail, which was shortlisted for the Theakston’s Prize for best crime novel of the year. His genre study The Golden Age of Murder won the Edgar, Agatha, H.R.F. Keating and Macavity awards, while The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books has been nominated for two awards in the UK and three in the US. Editor of 38 anthologies, he has also won the CWA Short Story Dagger and the CWA Margery Allingham Prize, and been nominated for an Anthony, the CWA Dagger in the Library, the CWA John Creasey Memorial Dagger, and a CWA Gold Dagger. He is President of the Detection Club and Chair of the Crime Writers’ Association, and Archivist of both organisations. He has received the Red Herring award for services to the CWA, and the Poirot award for his outstanding contribution to the crime genre.
  
  DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Aria & Aries, Head of Zeus, via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Sepulchre Street by Martin Edwards for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
  
• 
  Heathers_reads

  One of my favourite tropes is murder mystery, and I especially love a historical setting for this trope as I love watching the real insight into intelligence at work as the person posing as the detective has to use their brain as the main tool into solving the crime, due to lack of the modern day technology that we have now.
  
  “The house of graveyard lane” starts off with a definite bang, our FMC Rachel is approached with the request to “solve my murder”, an ominous sentence to come from the mouth of anybody, setting the mysterious and foreboding tone for the rest of the book.
  
  Rachel is in fact not a detective, her father is a judge and women are supposed to keep to the shadows and not draw attention to themselves in those times. However she is strong willed, brave, fearless and determined to put herself in dangers way in order to get answers.
  
  I definitely enjoyed the murder mystery and detective aspects of this book. The historical aspects took me worlds away from my typical reads and I enjoyed the mental escape.
  
  Thank you to Martin Edwards, Poisened Pen Press and NetGalley for the EARC.
  
  Publish date: August 27th 2024
  
• 
  Cathy

  Sepulchre Street is the fourth in the author’s historical crime series featuring Rachel Savernake. It’s a series I only discovered when I read the previous book, Blackstone Fell.
  
  Rachel Savernake is not so much a private detective as a personal detective pursuing investigations that spark her interest. As she herself admits, ‘It’s the thrill of the chase. I yearn for it like an addict craves the needle’ and her favourite pastime is ‘Asking what if?’ But it’s not just any old crime that attracts her: her taste is for the ‘exotic’.
  
  The author teases us by continuing to hold back information about Rachel’s past growing up on the remote island of Gaunt. (Some readers may find this frustrating but I find it tantalising.) What we do know is that she is a very wealthy young woman. However, her early life remains shrouded in mystery. She zealously guards her privacy and is a formidable adversary. Beware what she carries in that glittery evening bag! She’s incredibly well read, resourceful and imperturbable in even the most fraught situations, although, at times, her lack of fear appears to some to verge on recklessness. In fact, she’s just supremely confident she’ll be able to find a way out of any situation.
  
  The members of Rachel’s household – Martha Trueman, Martha’s brother Clifford, and Clifford’s wife Hetty – are devoted to her. Although performing the role of servants – housekeeper, cook and chauffeur come bodyguard – it’s clear they’re the closest Rachel has to a family and may know more than they’re letting on about her past. Rachel is particularly good at utilising their various talents as part of her investigations whether that’s gathering gossip or carrying out a little subterfuge. Crime reporter, Jacob Flint, is once again involved in the story. It’s fairly obvious he has a huge crush on Rachel. He himself admits that from the moment of their first encounter she has fascinated him ‘to the point of obsession’.
  
  The author describes Sepulchre Street as ‘as much a thriller as a detective story’ and the story certainly involves some dramatic scenes, often involving poor Jacob who seems to make a habit of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. There’s also a returning character who’s not your common or garden villain but performs the role of shady behind-the-scenes manipulator.
  
  Rachel’s attempts to discover the reason behind the grisly death of Damaris Gethin, carried out by Damaris’s own hand, involve a number of other characters and plot lines which attract the spotlight for much of the book. Some of these plot lines incorporate quite contemporary themes. Of course, Rachel, who possesses observational and deductive skills to rival Sherlock Holmes, arrives at the answer to the mystery well before everyone else, including, I suspect, most readers. In fact her methodology – ‘I simply follow an idea until I find something that proves that I’m wrong’ – has a distinctly Holmesian flavour.
  
  Sepulchre Street will appeal to fans of classic crime fiction (think Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers) and those who enjoy the challenge of unravelling an intricate plot. A neat touch is the addition of a ‘cluefinder’ at the end of the book (apparently all the fashion during the ‘Golden Age of Murder’ between the two world wars) in which the author identifies all the clues you very likely missed.
• 
  Victoria

  As someone who hasn't read the other books in the series, I was able to read this without any issues. This was a interesting mystery that I wanted to see solved. The pacing was good. This is a well written mystery and I will definitely be checking out the rest of the series! Special Thank You to Martin Edwards,Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Lastblossom

  tl;dr
  More thriller than mystery. A reasonably fun and twisty tale, but be advised that the description and the actual book aren't entirely in line.
  
  Thoughts
  This is fourth in a series, a thing I was entirely unaware of when I started it. Thankfully, there was enough catchup woven in that it wasn't a pain point for me to jump into the story. That being said, maybe I would have known better what to expect when the story took a sudden swerve from a very interesting hook to an entirely different plotline. There are two leads here - Rachel and Jacob - and despite the book description spending more time on Rachel, the book itself spends a lot more time on Jacob. The story begins with the death of Damaris Gethin (Rachel's case), but immediately takes a turn to follow the life of another woman, Kiki de Villiers (Jacob's case). Kiki is a person of interest for unspecified reasons. She's got history in this town, and there are a lot of different threads connected to her: the police, organized crime, a mysterious third party? Is Damaris also part of her story? Only somewhat. Jacob and Rachel intersect a few times, more out of coincidence than connection, but the lion's share of the story is about Kiki. There's plenty of cat and mouse in here leaning more into a thriller than a mystery, with a large amount of legwork in Rachel's case being done off the page. It's a shame, because she and the case are incredibly interesting, and I would have liked to follow that thread more. Still, if you want to follow the adventures of a crime reporter tracking down a woman with a mysterious past as she tangles with a crime organization, then this might be the book for you.
  
  Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advance copy! All thoughts in this review are my own.
• 
  Wendy(Wendyreadsbooks) Robey

  It’s been wonderful being back in the world of Rachel Savernake that Martin Edwards creates.
  Mystery and intrigue aplenty fill the pages of this brilliant who-dunnit. I love the character of Rachel - clever, strong and someone who doesn’t suffer fools gladly, she keeps us informed throughout of her thoughts and ideas.
  Her relationship with Jacob and the Trueman’s is as before central to the story and their support and friendship is to be admired as the team work through the various clues and red herrings of the mystery.
  A wonderful nod to the Golden Age of crime and mystery writing, this is a series of recommend over and over.
• 
  Janet

  In a nod to Golden Age fiction, Edwards has written another corker of a thriller / detective story set in 1930’s London. Readers who have already read one, or all, of the previous three Rachel Savernake books will know to expect a puzzle Poirot himself would be proud to have solved! You will need to pay attention to every word to try to work out the ending.
  
  The Hades Gallery. A private viewing for a select handful of invited guests of her new exhibition. Surrealist artist Damaris Gethin has created a macabre exhibition using living actors as waxwork looking models dressed up as famous crime figures and murderers along with gruesome artefacts.
  
  Wall candles are used giving the exhibition an eerie atmosphere.
  
  Damaris Gethin, dressed as Marie Antoinette - on the day of her execution - approaches Rachel Savernake with a very strange request.
  ‘I want you to solve my murder’. Shortly after Rachel agrees to this strange request, Damaris kills herself in a most horrific way.
  
  Rachel teams up with reporter Jacob Flint to begin investigating the reason Damaris took her own life. The trail leads them on a winding road with a tangle of clues to unravel.
  
  Secrets, lies, hidden relationships, more murders and someone very powerful who needs to keep one secret hidden no matter what.
  
  
  I had only read book three in this series so far (highly recommended) and I was really looking forward to meeting Rachel and Jacob again. Although she is the brains behind the investigation, they work very well together and she gets him out of a number of scrapes in her clear thinking level headed way.
  
  I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to fans of Agatha Christie who like a good puzzle to solve. Edwards has added a Cluefinder at the end of the book, which was popular during the ‘Golden Age of Murder’ between the two world wars. The Cluefinder highlights some of the hints and indications in the text what is really going on.
  
  Many thanks to the publisher for my spot on the blog tour, and my gorgeous finished hardback copy.
  
• 
  Sue

  The House on Graveyard Lane is the latest in Martin Edwards’ series of Golden Age mysteries featuring the enigmatic Rachel Savernake. Set in the 1930s with Britain and the world enduring a harsh depression, the story begins at a very outre gallery, that of surrealist artist Damaris Gethin. The Hades Gallery is featuring an exhibit “Artists in Crime”. Select members of the public have been personally invited to this showing. Just how select this audience is (and why) will become more apparent as the artiste Damaris performs an unexpected piece of performance art that sets the stage for all that is to come!
  
  I enjoyed this book quite a lot and enjoyed seeing Rachel in action more in this novel than her last, The Puzzle of Blackstone Lodge. For some reason this story felt more open and accessible in spite of the complexity of both the plot and the cast members/suspects. And the plot lines drew me along all the way to the conclusion. I didn’t mind being behind Rachel in solving the crimes. It was fun! Recommended!
  
  Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press, Martin Edwards and NetGalley for an eARC of this book which is now available.
• 
  Sasha

  DNF @17%
  
  Didnt realize that this was the fourth book in the series when i requested it - that's an oopsie on my part. The mystery itself was intriguing but without the backstory that comes with the first three books, i felt a bit lost and bored. Maybe in the future, I can start the series from the beginning and come back to this book.
  
  But I think lovers of this series will enjoy this book as the mystery itself is a fun one.
  
  Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this earc in exchange for my honest review.
• 
  Wolf

  Perfect Blend of Golden Age Crime Adventure with Modern Sensibilities
  
  Martin Edwards knows his vintage crime and he brings it all to bear here with an excellent blend of 1930s adventure with elements that reflect contemporary tastes. The story of criminal gang leaders, secret government agencies, a potential femme fatale and a dashing adventurer could easily fit in many crime adventures of the period; so could the newspaper man and privately wealthy investigator/busybody with helpful servants, but here the lead character is a woman and the elements that fire the plot cover a range of issues that wouldn’t have made their way into fiction of the time - or certainly not explicitly.
  
  It could be said that some of deductions of the main investigator Rachel Savernake seem to strain at the limits of what might be. But the same can sometimes be said of Miss Marple’s uncanny intuition and, when we’re having fun, it seems churlish to complain. An acute reader should have solved many of the many mysteries that the story throws up and still find one or two final revelations to wrong foot them.
  
  This is the fourth story in the series. I have read the first two and this feels like the best entry yet - it is a series that has found its feet. I’ll be going back to read the one I missed.
  
  
  Copy provided by publisher in exchange for honest review through NetGalley.
• 
  Alyssa jo

  Whew. Finished it.
  
  Ok, I really, really wanted to like this book. I enjoy whodunnit type novels, breaking down the clues, letting it take over my mind for a while… but this one sadly didn’t do it for me.
  
  The beginning of the novel was supposed to start off as a big bang- but I started out fairly confused, and I honestly kept getting more confused as the chapters went on. This book has so many far-out-there names to keep straight, no characters super enjoyable to latch on to; needless to say: I just couldn’t do it.
  
  The main plot itself was intriguing though, along with the clue finder at the end explaining all the little details (which actually helped tie up some loose ends for me I got lost figuring out at the end.)
  
  If I’d have known this was a series when I requested it (NetGalley didn’t have it in the description,) this maybe would’ve changed the result. But, at the end of the day, 2 stars is all that I can muster with what I knew.
  
  Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for granting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
• 
  Katie Hall

  Thank you to Netgallery and Poisoned Pen Press for an early release copy of The House On Graveyard Lane by Martin Edward’s, this book will be available for purchase on August twenty-seventh of 2024.
  
  The House On Graveyard Lane is a dnf for me on page 52, 18% complete. I wasn’t aware going into this that it was a series (Netgallery didn’t have it marked as a series, I’m unsure if you can read this without reading the others) When I first started this I kind of felt like something was off about the writing, it just doesn’t click with me. There are way too many characters with hard to pronounce names that are hard to keep track of. There are little to no character descriptions to help me really picture these characters at all. I was interested in the mystery of Damaris but the story just has a lot of things that turn me away from it.
• 
  Roman Clodia

  After a spectacular opening scene this settles into something less exciting: lots of violent deaths, lots of identity issues, lots of untypical Golden Age components casual sex, pregnancy, illegal abortion clinics just for starters but they're all thrown in then more or less forgotten about. I mean, they're not really significant, they don't breathe as topics, and we don't feel any emotional impact.
  
  Rachel Savernake was elusive and fascinating in the first couple of books but now she's become close to cosy, and her posse do their established things. The darkness has gone. So this is fun but it was outstaying its welcome towards the end.
• 
  Janalyn

  The House On graveyard Lane is the fourth book in the Rachel savernake historical mysteries by Martin Edwards, The story begins at a museum call Hades with models exhibiting famous murders in history. Anne Boleyn will be done by the artist her self in the exhibit will end the same way Miss Boleyn‘s did. The catches the actress Ask Rachel to solve her murder when she is very much alive but not for long her name is Damaris Gathen and before her artistic offering is over just like Miss Boleyn she will be beheaded but it will be at her own hands. If millionaire Rachel wasn’t interested before she certainly is now. It seems the Sherlock home type investigator likes to divulge other peoples secrets unlike those in her own life. She is very private about her past but has some very faithful companions as well as admirers. Despite sussing out clues as to why the strange eclectic artist would kill her self soon Rachel has a bona fide attempted murder and then murder on her hands. The suspect List contains a crooner who star is falling, a doctors widow who’s clinic is flailing and a top-tier bona fide shady dealer but before it’s over Rachel will find another suspect. This is the first book I’ve read from this Series but I think it’s safe to say most people in this book have a pass with Rachel and it’s not the part she’s keeping to her self she is very secretive very intelligent bold daring and independent and has fierce loyalty from those who live in her home. I love a book who you know there is no way the end could’ve been predicted but I do think a lot of it due to the fact it was never mentioned in the book at all at least not one aspect of it I found this book to be very smartly done I liked Rachel the detective and the reporter and especially her loyal friends there’s a lot to say for a main character who has a secret of pass that seems to only make you want to continue reading to find out what it is but a last will have to wait and hope it is divulged in the next installment. I think how do I read the other three books in the series I would’ve given it a higher rating without as if I was coming in in the middle of the story as most of these characters knew each other previously having said that I feel I have been caught up on the ins and outs of Rachel her companions ET see and would definitely read another book although I did find this one to be very very long.#NetGalley, #PoisonPenPress, #TheRachelServernakeMysteries, #MartinEdwards, #TheHouseOnGraveyardLane,
• 
  Bev

  The fourth book in Martin Edwards' Golden-Age-inspired mystery series finds Rachel Savernake asked by the victim to solve her murder before it happens. Damaris Gethin is a surrealist artist whose work has confounded the general public. She's been out of circulation for a little over a year and invites Rachel and several other very special guests to her grand return exhibition at the new Hades Gallery. In the audience, are former lovers, rivals, and persons who appear to have no connection to Damaris--but appearances are deceiving. Journalist Jacob Flint is also on hand--but his interest is in the flamboyant socialite who is rumored to have ties to a Very Important Person.
  
  The exhibition's theme revolves around famous murderers--with live actors portraying "waxwork" figures and waiters dressed as policeman. Damaris takes on the role of Marie Antoinette, complete with a guillotine. The onlookers are somewhat amused when the artist goes to the extent of placing her neck in the contraption, only to be appalled when the blade falls and Damaris is killed. Rachel is ready to look into who could have interfered with the works to murder Damaris, but it isn't long before it's clear that Damaris did it herself--on purpose. The only way to fulfill her promise to the artist is to discover who drove the woman to such a desperate act. Running underneath (to the side?) the main story is a hint of secret service--a certain top secret group are very concerned that the socialite will ruin the Very Important Person and are willing to do anything to prevent that. Does that have anything to do with Damaris and her death? Rachel will need to discover the answer to that question too.
  
  This particular entry in the series is closer to the thriller/adventure story than the classic mystery--though there are definitely clues to pick up and a detective plot to unravel. Jacob finds himself in the role of the thriller's hero even more than usual and gets himself into ticklish situations right and left. At one point it looks like he might get himself put away for murder. But Rachel keeps him out of the police's way while tracking down the culprit. Edwards provides us with a nice twisty solution that is very satisfying. I wish I could say I saw it coming, but I missed some of the clues he points out to us in the "Clue Finder" at the end of the book.
  
  First posted on my blog
  My Reader's Block.
• 
  Ellora

  I've got the making series on the brain, and it's a perfect week to take on a new entry in the Rachel Savernake series by Martin Edwards. Sepulchre Street is Edwards' fourth novel, and the fourth to feature his mysterious amateur sleuth, Rachel Savernake. Edwards is, of course, the premier expert on Golden Age / traditional mysteries, and I'd be excited to read this advance copy on his name alone. (Many thanks to Aria & Aries and NetGalley for the gift copy!) But I've also been a huge fan of his sleuth Rachel Savernake since I first picked up Gallows Court. The series is clever, compelling, and a dark contrast to some of my cozier "comfort" reads.
  
  In this latest outing, Rachel and her crew pursue the alleged murderer of a dazzling contemporary artist. When Damaris Gethrin approaches Rachel to "solve her murder" - and then proceeds to execute on the same at her art exhibit - Rachel, Jacob, and the Truemans ned to learn more. As they investigate further, they uncover and wrestle with layer on layer of conspiracy. It's an intriguing premise, and Edwards is known for delivering on his puzzles. But can he keep it up in Sepulchre Street?
  
  Rachel goes on an adventure
  
  Martin Edwards is the ultimate scholar on Golden Age crime fiction, and it’s clear he loves the intellectual challenge of a good fair play mystery. He has brought that appreciation and wit to all of the prior entries in the Rachel Savernake series. He continues with the rigor in Sepulchre Street, going so far as to include a clue-finder at the end to “prove” the solution. If you, like me, enjoy feeling intellectually challenged by a mystery, then you will appreciate this approach. It's nice to know that all elements of the ultimate solution are deducible with information fairly provided.
  
  That said, Edwards has chosen to go a little closer to the modern adventure route than in prior entries. Rachel, Jacob, and the Truemans stumble into a broad conspiracy, and their actions incite behavior that actually uncovers information. Not only that - the criminals are also prodded on by external factors, revealing additional clues. There's a larger element here of luck and/or conspiracy than in prior works - Rachel and the team have to be more reactive.
  
  There's nothing inherently wrong with this, and it can be fun to see what happens when an intelligent and resourceful character is put in a tough spot. But when I think of the Great Detectives, I always imagine a sense of control - that they generally have an understanding of possibilities and probabilities that allows each new incident to give them information. It's the difference between the detectives leading the charge and simply deducing the outcomes. There's nothing inherently wrong with either approach - but I'm surprised to see this more reactive mode from Edwards' characters.
  
  What makes a detective Great?
  
  My first recommendation, should you choose to read this novel, is to quickly refresh yourself on the cast of the series. Edwards routinely references the team's past adventures, and spends little time reintroducing the characters and their stories. Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to avail myself of this advice, and it took me a minute to refresh on each story and history before I could truly get into the swing of the novel.
  
  Edwards continues to write Rachel with a vaguely mysterious past. While it was intriguing for a few novels, it's wearing thin in book 4. Rachel continues to have infinite wealth and intelligence. She can do no wrong when it comes to detecting - she's an effortless team leader and a great ally. But without enough of the personal touch, Rachel comes off as an in-story deus ex machina: there's no doubt she and her team will survive unscathed.
  
  Of course, a mysterious crime-solver can still work when the surrounding stories and characters are sufficiently engaging. And while the story in Sepulchre Street is full of dramatic events, the characters themselves are a little thin. The victim dies in a truly shocking way - but we learn very little about her as a person. In my reading notes, I've noted one character gives off "Irene Adler in Sherlock" vibes - that is, shallow with the ongoing promise of depth.
  
  My instinct is that Savernake could be great, if Edwards could commit to either approach. If Rachel's past stays vague, then the surrounding mysteries need to make up for it. Otherwise, it'll be important to dive deeper into her story (and her crew's). For the moment, Sepulchre Street fails to hit either mark.
  
  Reader's notes & rating (⭐⭐⭐✨)
  
  The above criticisms are in the context of a well-written traditional mystery / adventure novel. I gulped Sepulchre Street down in a single sitting and enjoyed the more dark, atmospheric vibe of the writing. This is definitely a good read, just a niche one - and one that feels like it could have been even better. I'd recommend this to anyone who's already a Martin Edwards fan - but if you're just looking for a great traditional mystery and not already familiar with the series, I'd suggest starting with Gallows Court first. Because it's so reliant on series attachment - 3.5 stars.
  
  Read this if...
  
  You love Rachel Savernake (and have recently read the other books in the series)
  
  You appreciate the intellectual puzzle of a good fair-play / closed-circle mystery
  
  You’re looking for something a little more on the dark side of mystery
  
  Skip this if...
  
  This is your first Rachel Savernake book
  
  You need to empathize with either protagonist or victim in your mysteries
  
  You’re looking for something cozy (like I often cover here)
  
  Sepulchre Street by Martin Edwards will be released on May 11, 2023.
• 
  Larry Fontenot

  You can count this book along with the other outstanding novels in this series. It's entirely enough to imagine Rachel Savernake entertain her friends and yet completely hide her past. When you add in her insatiable quest for mystery and the solutions to crimes, we have the makings of an amazing book. Begin with an eccentric artist committing suicide via a guillotine moments after asking Rachel to solve her murder. Could Rachel decline, even after watching the woman definitively committing suicide? Would be a short book if Rachel said, "Not for me." The plot gleams and thickens like a savory soup and Rachel and her housekeepers and her newshound Jacob stir and stir until the meal is complete. A thoroughly satisfying adventure.
• 
  Lavanya

  3.75
  Although it was initially a bit jarring to find out this was book number four in an ongoing series (which may have been an oversight on my part), it is considerably easy to get into.
  
  A cozy murder mystery set in 1930s London where a well-known and reputed artist asks the main character to investigate her death, this confuses the MC (as the artist was alive when she asked the Favor), but leads to a very cozy murder mystery.
  The vibes were immaculate and although it may take a little longer to get into than most thriller mysteries, this is definitely worth a shot.
  
  I am looking forward to delving into more of this author’s works.
  
  Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Gayle (OutsmartYourShelf)

  I really enjoyed the previous book in the series, but this one is just not grabbing my attention. Next!
• 
  Mailaenderli

  Having had the privilege to speak to Martin Edwards I remember him saying that it takes some work to summarize previous books from a series to not bore the people who have read them but inform the people who start with book 3 or 4 in a series enough. Well, he did a great job. I followed the story easily and my interested was piqued to read the previous ones. Back to book 1.
• 
  Laurie K.

  ‘I want you to solve my murder,’ said the woman in white. Rachel Savernake gave a sardonic smile. ‘Quite a challenge.’ ‘Rumour has it that you seldom refuse a dare.’ ‘True,’ Rachel said. ‘But I anticipate difficulties. You’re flesh and blood, an artist who lives and breathes. Not a ghost.’ ‘Not yet.’“
  
  Rachel Savernake is not one to turn down such a challenge. And since Damaris Gethin is dead by the end of the 3rd chapter, she doesn’t have long to wait to begin her investigation.
  
  Very early into her inquiry, Rachel’s investigation appears to get sidetracked as she is drawn into Jacob Flint’s pursuit of a story involving a scandalous socialite. For the most part it’s an interesting plot, with a dark, almost claustrophobic atmosphere—mysterious government agencies and Very Important Persons not withstanding. But here is also where my issues with the book begin. Once the story moves on to this new plot line it tends to feel long, drawn out and overly complicated. Plus, Gethin’s challenge to Rachel is the impetus for all of the events that follow it, but that part of the story seems to get lost along the way. I wouldn’t normally take issue with that, except for one thing. When Rachel does present the solution to Gethin’s death, it’s done in, what felt to me like, a very off handed “oh, did I not tell you I solved that one” manner.
  
  Martin also continues to portray Rachel and her “ménage” (the Trueman clan) as if they too are a mystery to be solved. But by doing so, they have become static characters, unchanged in any way. Every once in a while a statement will be made, always followed by a sideways glance at Rachel, hinting at something from their past. I’ve read every book in the series and, unless I’m missing something, these “clues” to the past are never followed up on. And after four books it’s all become a bit monotonous. They are really no longer the enigmatic group introduced in Gallows Court. It’s clear that their desire to involve themselves in investigating mysteries and murder is born out of their sole motivation, which is to court danger. That’s all well and good, but it’s no longer enough—for me at least. Plus it gives them an air of indifference that I now find off putting.
  
  ‘You think Damaris Gethin would be content that justice was done?’ Jacob asked. Rachel shrugged. ‘Who knows?’“
  
  While I’m disappointed that Martin has done little if anything in the way of developing his primary characters, the strong plot and surprising ending made Sepluchre Street sort of worth reading.
• 
  Shomeret

  The House on Graveyard Lane is the only book I've read so far by this author. I read it because a book club that I attend online had selected it. I received a copy via Net Galley.
  
  One character in this novel complained about protagonist Rachel Savernake's unhealthy obsession with murder. This amused me, but it occurred to me that I should have seen such a remark before while reading a murder mystery. Mysteries do tend to have protagonists who are preoccupied with murder, and they also have more ordinary characters. So I wonder why these more ordinary folk in other mysteries have never reflected on the strangeness of the protagonist's predilections. Not that Rachel Savernake really is particularly strange. In fact, I didn't consider her a standout character at all. I felt that other characters seemed more central to the narrative.
  
  One of the more prominent characters in The House on Graveyard Lane is Kiki de Villiers. Kiki had numerous extra-marital affairs--some with very prominent men. From my perspective, Kiki's adventures weren't worth the space that the author devoted to them.
  
  I didn't really find any of the plot developments all that interesting. It was just a series of sordid shenanigans. I don't feel that it was worth my time.
  
  For my complete review see
  https://shomeretmasked.blogspot.com/2...
• 
  Sarah Zama

  I suppose this wasn't for me.
  I was very intrigued by the concept and the setting as it was described in the blub, but right from the first chapter, I felt something was off for me. And I soon discovered it was a characteristic of the entire story: it took forever to be told.
  I seriously thought half the length would be enough for this story. There's a lot of padding. And a lot of time is devoted to episodes that won't go anywhere.
  The mystery soon became very unlikely (at least, for me) and the end unconvincing.
  I skipped most of the last part.
• 
  Tanvi

  This was so boring! I think it might be the fact that I just didn't feel like there was suspense, or stakes. There was nothing riding on solving the murder, so I sat there for a while and just kind of wondered what the point was. I would read more Edwards, but only if there was an actual MURDER, and not some kind of psuedo-murder that I can't get behind. Writing was fine.
  
  Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
• 
  Adam Carson

  For some reason I struggle to get into these Martin Edward’s Savernake books. Though they’re quite clever and well plotted, there’s something about the complexity of the story and the coldness and distance of all the characters that’s almost clinical and leads me to not warm to them.
• 
  Shawna Borman

  It’s book review time! This month, I decided to go with an old fashioned cozy mystery. The House on Graveyard Lane by Martin Edwards was released yesterday (August 27th) from Poisoned Pen Press. As usual, I must thank them and NetGalley for access to an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Before I get started, I also have to say that there was no indication on NetGalley that this was the fourth installment of an ongoing series, so just remember that I’m judging this book on its own merits. Things might have been different if I’d read the previous books. Let’s do the thing.
  
  The House on Graveyard Lane primarily follows Rachel Savernake as she tries to figure out why surreal artist Damaris Gethin killed herself in front of a select group of people. Jacob Flint, a crime reporter, is also interested in the case, but he has his own case to follow involving the beautiful Kiki de Villiers until the story is mysteriously quashed by the powers that be. Set in 1930s London, it’s a mystery for fans of historical fiction as well as whodunits.
  
  The plot is deceiving. The blurb on the back and the initial setup indicate that the main mystery will be solving Damaris Gethin’s suicide, but that really takes a backseat to everything else going on in the book. They wrap it up like two thirds of the way through in one or two paragraphs that are just offhand remarks in a conversation about the other stuff that’s going on. It’s really annoying. And even the main issues in the book are arbitrarily wrapped up. There’s a “clue finder” at the end with a bunch of stuff the reader was supposed to pick up on as proof of the outcomes, but it’s all vague stuff. Yes, I picked up on everything mentioned, but none of it was solid. Everything was guesswork that only came together because the villain was too stupid to keep their trap shut. Don’t confess and there’s literally a hundred other explanations for the so-called evidence. It’s just unsatisfying all around.
  
  None of the characters are particularly likeable. Mostly because they all turn out to be some kind of bad guy. But even Rachel and her crew are not great. She’s a nosy rich person who thinks she should be allowed to do whatever she wants without consequences. Her “servants” aren’t really fleshed out in this book, but they have potential to be good characters. Maybe they are in the other books. I don’t know. And Jacob Flint turns into a whiny little bitch at the first sign of trouble despite acting like he’s tough. There’s no nice way of putting that. Maybe the other books give all the main characters more likeable qualities, but this one leaves everyone a bit thin. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t have to actually like characters, but I do have to be able to see beyond the stereotype they’re filling to make them interesting. I can’t do it here.
  
  I did enjoy the writing and the throwback to old timey English mysteries. For what it was, the pacing was fine. If the story had been what it promised to be and the ending had been stronger, I probably would have liked it a lot.
  
  Ultimately though, I’m not a fan of The House on Graveyard Lane. There was just too much that was unsatisfying about it. I’m not even interested in trying the other books in the series.
  
  Overall, I gave it 2 out of 5 stars. If you’ve read the other books in the series and enjoyed them, you might really like this book. I don’t know. But if you’re going in blind like I did, this is perfectly skippable.
• 
  Helena Stone

  The opening of this book couldn’t be more fascinating. Damaris Gethin, surrealist artist and very much alive, asks Rachel to investigate her murder. Although she refuses to part with any more information, Rachel can’t refuse the challenge she’s been set. Things get confusing when Damaris subsequently commits suicide by guillotine, but Rachel is determined to keep her word. Damaris may have killed herself, but somebody drove her to it, and Rachel will find out who and why.
  
  Journalist Jacob Flint would love an interview with the gorgeous Kiki de Villiers. Damaris’s death spoils his chances on that particular night, and things only get more complicated when Kiki vanishes from London, initially to parts unknown.
  
  And thus starts a story that is at least as much thriller as it is puzzle-mystery. I suspect that the author took at least some inspiration from Christie’s Tommy and Tuppence when he created Rachel and Jacob, with Rachel being intellectually superior and Jacob being prone to finding himself in harm’s way. Having said that, while it is clear that Jacob is rather taken with Rachel, there is (at this point) no sign of a romantic relationship.
  
  There is A LOT going on in this story. We have gangsters, murder, prostitution, people smuggling, a mysterious ‘very important person’, and blackmail for starters. And until almost the end of the story Rachel and Jacob’s investigations appear to be unconnected. Except that of course they aren’t and the way in which it is all pulled together is masterful.
  
  I’m very impressed that despite a large and at first glance unconnected cast of characters, I never lost track of who was who. It takes a great writer to present the various protagonists in such a way that the reader can easily follow what’s happening to whom, even if the whys aren’t disclosed until the very end.
  
  I liked that the book ended with a ‘clue finder’. Apparently, it was commonplace during the Golden Age of Mystery to spell out the various clues contained in the story in an appendix-like chapter. Martin Edwards does the same here and for me it was a case of discovering that I had picked up on about half of them while the other half went completely over my head. I don’t mind. Part of the fun of a mystery for me is the fact that I’ve been out-smarted by the author.
  
  Long review short: this was a fabulous read. What’s not to love about a story in which the mysteries are well plotted, the clues are there for the observant reader, and one of the main characters is as intriguing and mysterious as the cases she investigates.
  
  Once again, I read a series book out of order. This time I can honestly say that it didn’t matter. At no point did I feel as if I was missing vital (or even trivial) information. What’s more, I can also say without a shadow of a doubt that I will read the three earlier titles as well as any future Rachel Savernake stories. If only because I’m now VERY curious about Rachel’s personal story and background.
  
• 
  Stephanie Kollgaard

  The House on Graveyard Lane is a cozy mystery that starts with the surprise right from the beginning: a woman who is not yet dead asks for her murder to be solved and then dies by her own doing in a public spectacle. This series of books follows Rachel Savernake, a wealthy English woman who spends her time reading and solving crimes, her friend Jacob who works for a newspaper, and a variety of other shady characters that Rachel knows from her social circle. The time period this takes place in is the 1930s so while Rachel herself doesn't seem to be in any economic trouble, many references are made to the struggles and downturns of other characters.
  
  I was expecting something maybe a little creepier and mysterious from how this book begins, however it soon moves away from the initial mystery and into investigating a network of criminals which involves lots of travel back and forth between various estates. Occasionally the perspective shifts so the reader can see how all of these conspiracies are connected from the persectives of those in it. The perspective I found most unneeded was Jacob's as he came across as very insecure and having trouble making decisions which didn't do a whole lot for the plot.
  
  I liked that this book tackled issues specific to women in a way that mostly is factual, sensitive, and debunks stereotypes and myths. Some of the dialogue on this topic seemed a little forced, but I appreciate the general point that was successfully gotten across.
  
  How Rachel arrived at the conclusion to solve how everything was interconnected was confusing to me in that I didn't entirely follow how she connected all the dots even though the author helpfully included an explainer at the end where clues where (apparently something done in 1930s crime fiction). It all seemed a little convenient and beyond the stretch of typical suspension of disbelief when she put it all together and how it neatly wrapped up. I also found the reason for the first death which started the book off to be a bit of a stretch in addition to a reveal at the very end which seemed very forced and barely hinted at throughout the book.
  
  Another mystery that's part of the plot isn't a death, but the identity of a mysterious man one of the characters is romantically interested in. He is apparently someone "very important to the nation" who if found out, will cause a massive scandal involving national security. Unfortunately this plot point didn't go anywhere although I had an idea of who they were alluding to based on the time period. Maybe a red herring or just something for the reader to think about if they're able to put it together.
  
  I would definitely recommend this to someone who enjoys cozy, historical mysteries, and hope to read the rest of this series.
  
  Many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and to NetGalley for this ARC to review. This review is my honest opinion.