Note: Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing, and author Louise Marley for the advanced reader copy of this book. This review will also be posted on NetGalley. What follows is my unbiased review of the book.

While reading Murder at Castle Vyne, I found out that it’s set in a universe the author created for other books she’s written, but it is not part of a series. It stands on its own very well, and I commend Louise Marley for being able to take the universe she created and writing a story that stands well on its own.

Natalie Grove is a famous mystery author who still lives in Calahurst, the town she grew up in. Fourteen years ago, she found her sister Sarah’s body floating in a garden pond at Castle Vyne, where their father worked. The suspected killer disappeared and was never found. Trying to gain some closure, Natalie has written her most recent novel in secret, based on her sister’s murder, hoping to draw someone out and find some closure.

However, Natalie gets more than she bargained for. Her talk about finding her sister’s diary has alarmed a few people, even though the diary doesn’t actually exist, and she’s using the idea of it as bait.

As the story goes on, it’s revealed that Henry Vyne, who was Lord Henry Vyne once upon a time and a great artist, had a predilection for young girls. He used them as models and painted and drew them in provocative ways. What else went on isn’t detailed, but living in a world with the Epstein files should give readers a hint. Yes, as a wealthy man, he got away with the worst thing a person can be accused of. Apparently, Sarah was one of his “models” whom he favored quite a bit until her death.

Natalie has suppressed some of the memories from back then, but as the fallout from her book starts setting things in motion, there are bits and pieces that come back to her. This also puts her in danger from a number of different people.

It appears Calahurst is a haven for those who are sexual predators. Natalie’s long-time boyfriend, Simon, was once her counselor following her sister’s death, and there are hints that older men showing interest in younger girls was not uncommon here.

The mystery here roped me in fairly well. I was eager to learn what actually happened to Sarah and which of the men in Calahurst was the one who murdered her. The resolution didn’t really surprise me as far as Sarah’s murder. Other events that take place during the course of the book lead to something quite different than what I was expecting, though.

I found parts of the story to be rather convoluted. There’s a couple of people who die or who are supposed to be dead and then turn up again. It made parts of the story hard to follow. It also didn’t seem like the local police were treating all of this coming back to life as a big deal and just sort of accepted it with a shrug of their shoulders. Natalie has lived in Calahurst her entire life except for when she was at University, but has few friends. The one friend she does seem to have, Alicia, she seems to regard with disdain for reasons we’re never really told. She’s isolated from her remaining family and seems to spend most of her time in her apartment alone, writing.

I liked Murder at Castle Vyne overall, I just felt like parts of it were overcomplicated. Although not graphic, there’s a lot of hints as to the sexual assault of underage girls. The setting itself is intriguing and figuring out exactly what was going on didn’t happen until the author revealed the story at the end. It can be a tough read because of the topic as well as the convoluted way Louise Marley presents the mystery.