Murder in Covent Garden

Miss Merrill and Aunt Violet Mysteries, Book 4

By: Anita Davison

Narrated by: Oona Beeson

The BRAND NEW gripping cozy mystery from Anita Davison, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Helena Dixon and Verity Bright!

Nobody should be in the market… for murder!

Even though its famous opera house has shuttered its doors for the war, Covent Garden remains one of the most exciting, bustling areas of London. It’s where Hannah Merrill and Aunt Violet have their bookshop and, in spite of the recent spate of burglaries in the area, it’s generally thought to be a good neighbourhood.

So Hannah is surprised when she sees a fellow shopkeeper – a jeweller named Jacob Cornelis – having a heated argument with a stranger. Especially when the next day Cornelis is found dead in his shop, apparently the victim of another burglary.

But what shocks Hannah more is when she meets the policeman supposedly there to investigate the crime. Because he is none other than the man who Hannah saw arguing with Cornelis the day before.

Hannah knows it’s up to her and Violet to investigate. But they don’t know they’re about to uncover a secret underworld of theft, murder and blackmail. And they must act fast, before the Covent Garden Killer strikes again…

Read if you love: Cozy historical mysteries / Female detective duos / A London setting / Golden Age stories / A feline sidekick

©2025 Anita Davison (P)2025 Boldwood Books

Surprise ending!

It dragged at times but overall a good story. It held my attention and I like the main characters

3 stars

*Spoilers ahead* I want to love this series, and for the most part I do. The narrator is top notch—much better than I expected for a book as inexpensive as these. I would listen to any book read by her! I suspect that she takes the whole thing to the next level and the writing might not be as great if I was reading instead of listening, but I can’t verify since I haven’t read it myself. The storyline is good and I didn’t guess the killer, which is unusual for me. So that’s fun. I like Hannah and Darius, Aiden, Archie, and Penny. The only thing I really don’t love in this series is Aunt Violet’s character. I keep wanting to love her, but she’s just not that likable. She’s selfish, dismisses Hannah, and in this book she speaks of her affair with a married man with no remorse other than the fact that they couldn’t be together. She didn’t feel bad for the wife, or even upset at being the other woman. And the whole thing ended because of the sinking of the titanic, which seemed like it was just thrown in because the author had read about it and wanted to include it. Having only been distantly affected by it, it seemed a stretch to say that’s what caused the affair and love of a lifetime to end. All in all, that subplot was weak and made me dislike Aunt Violet even more. For the book being labeled a Miss Merrill and Aunt Violet mystery, aunt violet doesn’t do much sleuthing. I kept waiting for her to be unmasked as a spy for the war to explain her cagey-ness, so was disappointed when her reasons were more selfish and surface level. It’s a fun storyline, but if more come out, I won’t be in a rush to get them.

The plot was well developed. The red herrings well placed.

Nothing stood out for me. The narration was well done. I enjoy this author's work.