Murder on the Rocks is a delightful thirteenth entry in the Lady Hardcastle Mystery series. Lady Emily Hardcastle and her lady’s maid Flo have been invited by their friend JB McIntyre to spend a weekend at his recently renovated Tudor fort on a remote island off the Devonshire coast. The other guests all know each other well and get together frequently, which immediately gives you that feeling of walking into a room full of inside jokes and unspoken tensions. One of the guests is a blind virtuoso violinist, which adds a really interesting dimension to the group dynamic and to the investigation itself.
What starts as a few suspicious jewelry thefts quickly escalates when one of the guests is murdered. A storm cuts the group off from the mainland, and suddenly Emily and Flo have to figure out who the killer is before anyone else ends up dead. The whole setup is a fun nod to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, with the isolated island, the dwindling guest list, and the growing paranoia among the trapped party.
What I love most about this series is the banter between Emily and Flo. Their relationship is built on years of shared history as former spies turned crime-solving friends, and the warmth and humor between them makes every conversation a pleasure to listen to.
There was also a charming bit at the beginning about the American obsession with teddy bears and a collector who acquires a Steiff bear. It was one of those small, unexpected historical details that sent me down a little research rabbit hole of my own, which is always a sign that a book has pulled me in.
Elizabeth Knowelden narrates the audiobook, and she continues to be an excellent fit for this series.
If you enjoy cozy historical mysteries with sharp writing and a classic locked-room setup, this one delivers. You could probably start here and follow along just fine, but I’d recommend going back to the beginning to get the full picture of Emily and Flo’s wonderful friendship.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for a copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.
Holly Reads Too Much 