Bodies and Battlements by Elizabeth Penney

Item: Bodies and Battlements
Rating: 5
Author: BaronessMom

Posted August 23, 2025 by BaronessMom in Mystery, Review, Series / 0 Comments

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Bodies and Battlements

by Elizabeth Penney

Series: Ravensea Castle #1
Series Rating:

Published by Minotaur Books on May 27, 2025
Setting: England
Genres: Cozy Paranormal Animal Mystery
Pages: 281
Format: Kindle, Paperback
Source: the Publisher
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Get Your Copy at: Amazon

The first in a new cozy mystery series by Elizabeth Penney investigates a suspicious murder in a haunted British castle-turned-bed and breakfast.

Herbalist Nora Asquith is delighted to welcome Ravensea Castle’s first guests to the picturesque village of Monkwell, Yorkshire. After a thousand years of ownership, her family has decided to convert the castle into a bed and breakfast. But when Hilda Dibble, a self-appointed local luminary, is found dead in the knot garden the next morning, Nora’s business is not only at risk—she’s a prime suspect.

Hilda had opposed the hotel plan every step of the way, and although she didn’t succeed in stopping the venture, her disagreements with Nora seem to only further her motive. One of Ravensea’s guests happens to be Detective Inspector Finlay Cole, who is new to the area and now finds himself with a murder case in his lap.

Nora and her actress sister Tamsyn decide to investigate for themselves. They look into the entangled dealings of their newly arrived guests, while also getting hints from Sir Percival, one of the castle ghosts. As they learn, Sir Percival’s tragic death centuries ago sheds light on present-day crimes. Surely they can get to the bottom of this mystery while keeping their new business afloat . . .

Bodies and Battlements by Elizabeth Penney is fantastically brilliant.

Will Nora find the culprit before her family home has to be sold?

Nora Asquith

Our sleuth, Nora, is also an innkeeper and apothecary who clearly loves animals and nature. I enjoyed getting to know Nora and her family as they work towards turning their family castle into a bed and breakfast. The finding of dead bodies was not good for business, but with Nora and her sister’s assistance, the authorities found the culprits eventually.

I like that Nora is practical, and yet she believes in the supernatural. She even embraces the ghostly ancestors that reside within the castle. Nora is a hard worker, but she still looks up to her sister and brother for approval. It was heartening to see the whole family stepping up to help save the castle.

The Mystery

The morning after their first guests arrive, Nora finds the local woman who has been against the bed and breakfast from the start dead in the garden. No one knows why she is there. Then, later, she finds one of the local stone masons’ bodies down on the shoreline. These discoveries have really shaken her. Not to mention that one of her guests is the new D.I. for the area. All of this is happening, and then they find out that one of their other guests was related to the deceased woman, and his mother was killed years earlier. The mystery is wonderfully written, with just enough twists to keep me guessing and intrigued.

Five Stars

My rating for Bodies and Battlements by Elizabeth Penney is five stars. I love the characters, the setting is whimsical, and the mystery is superb. I highly recommend it. Ms. Penney’s writing style is excellent, and I look forward to the next installment.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Bodies and Battlements by Elizabeth Penney.

Until the next time,

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About Elizabeth Penney

Elizabeth Penney is an author, entrepreneur, and local food advocate living in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. In addition to writing full-time, she operates a small farm. Elements that often appear in her novels include vintage summer cottages, past/present mysteries, and the arts. She is represented by the fabulous Elizabeth Bewley at Sterling Lord Literistic.

Elizabeth’s writing credits include over twenty mysteries, short stories, and hundreds of business articles. A former consultant and nonprofit executive, she holds a BS and an MBA. She’s also written screenplays with her musician husband.

She loves walking in the woods, kayaking on quiet ponds, trying new recipes, and feeding family and friends.

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