Murder at Macbeth by Samantha Goodwin – Book Review

I was honoured to have been contacted by Samantha Goodwin and asked if I would be interested in reviewing her book.  After taking a look there was no doubt that it was a book I’d enjoy.  Thank you Samantha for a copy of this novel in return for an honest and unbiased review.

Synopsis

Whose deadly secret has taken centre stage?

When a talented, young actress unwittingly stabs herself live onstage after a prop knife is tampered with, suspicion immediately falls on her eclectic band of castmates.

But who had the motive to kill the show’s leading lady?

As the insightful, yet disillusioned, Detective Inspector Finley Robson and his shrewd partner, Detective Sergeant Nadia Zahra, interrogate the seven key suspects, secrets unfold to unveil a web of scandal, blackmail, and deceit.
Bitter rivalries, secret trysts and troubled pasts are just the beginning of the story…

INTERNATIONAL FLASH 500 NOVEL AWARD LONGLIST

My Thoughts

Wow!  For a short time only you can buy Murder at Macbeth for the bargain price of 99p/ 99 cents.

I wouldn’t necessarily call this a cosy mystery novel as it does have a few darker elements so I’d classify it as a police procedures/classic Who Dun It? and it’s one that I truly recommend.  

When a young actress is murdered in a very theatrical manner on the opening night of Macbeth, Robson and Zahra are called in to investigate.  In history, the play of Macbeth is shrouded in mythology and suspicion  The setting for this murder mystery is such a clever idea as it paves the way for a bunch of suspects with an aptitude for lying and pretense.  Everyone is a suspect!

Once the beginning of the story is told,  the chapters follow the same format.  Each suspect is brought into the interrogation room and questioned by Zahra and Robson and then we are taken back to the time in question to discover what happened.  As each suspect is interviewed, it seems at first as though there are no strong leads and everybody is hiding something.  Slowly and surely small clues begin to emerge and the jigsaw begins to come together revealing darker and more sinister happenings.  The timing of revealing the clues is perfect throughout the book – steady enough to build tension and suspense without loosing momentum and pace.

Zarha and Robson are a fabulous team and I really hope this isn’t the last we will see of them.  I’m clinging to hope they will get more outings.  It’s great to see both male and female counterparts with equal intelligence although each character brings a different perspective to the proceedings.  Robson is passionate and will often forget the rules whist Zarha is cool headed and logical – a brilliant combination.

Overall this is a brilliant and addictive murder mystery  with a cleverly written plot and entertaining characters.  Highly recommended!

Author Bio – Samantha Goodwin

Samantha Goodwin has written professionally for her business career as a Chartered Marketing Manager for over a decade before turning her hand to fiction. As an avid crime fiction fan, she regularly participates in the renowned Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate and relishes attending literature festivals across the country as well as engaging in numerous online writing communities.
Keen to support new and upcoming authors, Samantha recently launched the #IndieWritingWisdom initiative on Instagram to collate and share inspiring, original writing quotes from a wide range of different writers to encourage others. When not writing, Samantha enjoys reading, movies, musicals, countryside walks and almost all chocolate (but controversially not Oreos). She lives in Leeds, England with her husband, Chris, and young son, Jack. Murder at Macbeth is her first novel.