Bodies and Battlements is the first book in a new cozy mystery series, Ravesea Castle Series, by Elizabeth Penney. Set in Yorkshire, UK, the mystery features herbalist and B&B owner Nora Asquith.
Title: Bodies and Battlements
Author: Elizabeth Penney
Series: Ravensea Castle book 1
First Published: May 27, 2025
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Genres: mystery
Acquired: from the publisher
*** Thank you to the publisher, Minotaur Books, for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy for review purposes. ***
Herbalist Nora Asquith is delighted to welcome Ravensea Castle’s first guests to the picturesque village of Monkwell, Yorkshire. After a thousand years of ownership, her family has decided to convert the castle into a bed and breakfast. But when Hilda Dibble, a self-appointed local luminary who opposed the hotel plan every step of the way, is found dead in the knot garden the next morning, Nora’s business is not only at risk—she’s a prime suspect.
Luckily, one of Ravensea’s guests happens to be new-to-the-area Detective Inspector Finlay Cole, who takes on the case. Even so, Nora and her actress sister Tamsyn decide to investigate for themselves. They look into the entangled dealings of their newly arrived guests, while also getting hints from Sir Percival, one of the castle ghosts. Surely they can get to the bottom of this mystery while keeping their new business afloat . . .
A castle, a family ghost, a B&B – what more could you ask for?
Elizabeth Penney is the author of one of my favourite cozy mystery series (The Cambridge Bookshop Mysteries) so when I heard she had a new series coming out, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. Who wouldn’t want to stay in a B&B that’s in a castle?!
I enjoyed meeting Nora – her job as a herbalist is interesting and I’m looking forward to learning more about herbs, scents, and other flora trivia. With her personal history with the victim and the need to keep their business’ name clean, it makes sense that Nora, and her family, would want the murders solved as quickly as possible.
The castle setting was detailed and just as luxurious as you could want – I could picture everything perfectly, including the furnishings and the gardens. I also loved our introduction to the resident ghosts – from small glimmers to actual sightings, it was a fun way to introduce them into the story.
The mystery plot is well set up and laid out in a way that kept me guessing until the final reveal. The story was engaging and held my interest throughout. There were a lot of characters to keep track of but it never felt confusing or like there were too many people involved.
A charming start to a promising new series
The first book in any series has the difficult task of keeping the reader engaged but also setting up the series for the future, including the setting and the characters, both main and recurring. Bodies and Battlements did a great job of making me interested in several of the characters right from the start and I loved meeting the family, the guests, and the people from the village. It will be fun to see who returns in future books.
There are already relationships forming, which will be fun to see develop, and not just romantic ones. The bond between Nora and her sister Tamsyn is definitely one that will continue to heal, I think, and I really enjoy that the sisters find ways to get along, but still be cometitive siblings.
For me, one of the reasons I love cozy mystery series is getting to know the characters and becoming familiar with them – and I think the ones we have met in Bodies and Battlements will be a group that I will enjoy meeting again!
