The English Boys: A Mystery

Wow. Just wow. Julia Thomas’ debut novel unfurls slowly and beautifully and then speeds up faster and faster as one shock after another is revealed. Who would believe that this perfect gem, told partly in flashback, could be a first novel?

Beautiful, bohemian actress Tamsyn Burke is stabbed to death moments before her wedding. For whom is her death worse? Her fiancé Hugh Ashley-Hunt? Or Hugh’s best friend, Daniel Richardson, the one who loved and lost Tamsyn? However, it’s Daniel and not the groom who tries to solve Tamsyn’s murder.

Free-spirited Tamsyn’s little sister Carey is her exact opposite. A practical 23-year-old medical student, Carey drops everything to join Daniel in investigating who killed Tamsyn in Westminster show more Abbey. What Carey and Daniel discover will create both surprise and suspense. Highly, highly recommended.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Midnight Ink in exchange for an honest review. show less

3.5 Daniel and Hugh have long been friends, both successful actors they are starring in the same movie form the first time. Daniel meets Tamsyn first, they become friend though secretly Daniels wants to be more. Alas, High gets the girl, he and Tamsyn become engaged much to Daniels sorrow. They are to be married at The Abbey, but before Tamsyn can walk down the aisle she is stabbed to death. Who would kill a bride on her wedding day and why?

Daniels and the bride's sister Carey set off to investigate on their own. We learn of Tamsyn and Daniel's friendship from his backstory, meet some of the characters from her past. It isn't until the last third of the book that we learn some things about Tamsyn and if you read this you will see why. show more Now the pieces begin to fall in place. This authors strength is in her characterizations, especially Daniel who we come to know fairly well.

Quite a good début novel, and it has the added draw of NOT being compared to Gone Girl or Girl on a Train. Two comparisons of which I am very tired. Will definitely watch form this authors next book, my guess is she will get better and better.

ARC from publisher. show less