Murder Most Haunted by Emma Mason Narrator: Jacqueline King, Jonathan Case, Ayesha Antoine, Barnaby Edwards, Angus King, Anna Acton, Roy McMillan
Published by Harper Audio on October 7, 2025
Source: NetGalley
Genres: Mystery
Length: 8 hrs 41 mins
Pages: 318
Format: Audiobook
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As the snow falls, the haunting begins... Get ready for the most gripping cosy murder mystery debut of the year.
'A delightfully engaging debut, starring one of the most amusing and unusual sleuths I’ve come across. Best enjoyed with a nice glass of sherry!' Tess Gerritsen
A grand country estate.
On her last day as a Detective, Midge McGowan is given the retirement present from a ticket to take part in a haunted house tour. She’ll have to spend the weekend before Christmas ghost-hunting in an isolated mansion with a group of misfits, including a know-it-all paranormal investigator and a has-been pop star.An impossible crime.
It isn’t long before the tour starts to spiral out of control. Midge and the guests see an unsettling figure walking the grounds late at night. Then the unthinkable happens – someone is murdered in a room that’s been locked from the inside.A Christmas they might not survive.
Heavy snow cuts them off from help, the house’s own dark secrets begin to surface, and Midge can’t shake the creeping sense that they are walking into a nightmare. Could a ghost really be responsible, or is the culprit one of the guests?
Midge McGowan has just retired from the police form. She was a detective, but has spent most of her career stuck in the property room. As a going away gift the force gives her a weekend trip for one to a haunted mansion on the weekend before Christmas. Midge doesn’t want to go for several reasons, but her wife insists. It works as the setup for the mystery and a reason was given, but what a terrible gift. So, off Midge goes on the bus with the other guests, the driver, and the tour host – a rather odd mix of people. Of course, it’s not long until someone is killed and the house is cut off from the outside by the snow and an active firing field. I think this might be the first I’ve read where the house was cut off from help by a firing range.
Midge is a good lead. She’s smart, observant, and often overlooked. I liked how she ended up connecting with some of the other guests. She stepped out of her comfort zone and did it well. She was overweight which gave her some issues with walking. I wish the author had been less mean about it though. I sometimes felt like I liked Midge more than the author did.
The mystery had a couple of good twists. I listened to the audio, which was definitely the way to go. The main narrative is interspersed with bits of one of the characters’ podcasts, done with a full cast and sound effects. It was a nice contrast.
Overall, I enjoyed this one. It wasn’t perfect, but it was fun enough. I hope we get a second book featuring Midge.
About Emma Mason
Emma Mason is a former Detective Constable with Thames Valley Police. She now lives in Dorset with her husband, children and parents. She writes and works as a design consultant, creating virtual reality training for the defence sector. Murder Most Haunted is her debut novel.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges: