Books set in the Cotswolds- Murder at the Manor Hotel, Betty Rowlands

Submitted: 26th November 2018

Murder at the Manor Hotel is a book set in the Cotswolds by Betty Rowlands

Books set in the Cotswolds conjure up happy villages, nice people and life in the countryside. Betty Rowlands takes us to Upper Benbury which is a fictional village with all the charm of the very real Cotswolds. Murder in the Manor Hotel is set in a hotel of course but there’s no rest or relaxation here!

Think the Cotswolds is all calm and peace? Think again…

Murder at the Manor hotel, Betty Rowlands

Some novels hint at that Cotswold charm however and add that little piece of darkness or deadly deceit in there as well. If fans of Agatha Raisin and the Midsommer Murders are looking for a new series to read, you’d be advised to read this little lot. All standalones but start with this new one!

Murder at the Manor Hotel by Betty Rowlands

This is the kind of book you need when the hard core crime novels are getting too much, you’re not in the mood for romance or action heros and just want a good old fashioned mystery story. This is part of a series although is a standalone novel and set in the Cotswolds it could be described as cosy – but there are murders and mischief all the same!

It reminded me of the high jinks of Agatha Raisin and the cosy crime mysteries I’ve read set in rural hotels. There’s always something mysterious about amateur dramatics to me – plenty of people acting of course and who knows what goes on behind the scenes? The cast of characters both on and off the page are good and plenty of laughs and images of crazy eccentrics in my head now. But I had a lot of fun with this novel and I’m not put off going to the Cotswolds! Maybe of joining a drama club though..

As the reader , you get to solve the clues along with the characters and mystery writer and it felt like one of those Cluedo evenings…but was it the butler in this case?

A cosy classic!

Setting: a hotel in the Cotswolds, a fictional village