Press & Reviews
‘Whyte gets everything just right, constructing memorable characters and landing several shocking plot twists. Readers will be as hard-pressed to identify the culprit as Lewis and Audrey—and they’ll have a marvellous time trying.’
‘This is a wholesome whodunnit, conveyed with charm and panache, and a cast of oddball and free-spirited characters who spring vividly to life. It’s all the more impressive when you learn that this is the debut outing for new British talent Nicola Whyte.’
‘What sets this book apart is its perfect blend of accessibility and substance. The pages turn easily, but the story lingers, making it an ideal summer read that doesn’t insult your intelligence.
A stellar debut.’
‘Boasts enough warmth and acerbic wit to be deeply enjoyable.’
‘An ingenious cosy crime novel.’
‘Clever and witty, and with an enjoyably oddball cast.’
‘This is cosy crime with gentle humour and an ensemble cast who seem destined to continue their investigative sideline … and that’s brilliant news.’
‘10 Marchfield Square marks Nicola Whyte as a promising new voice in crime fiction… creating a world readers will want to revisit and characters they’ll genuinely care about.’
Other reviews
“When a man is found dead in the smallest residential square in London, the repercussions may extend beyond the manicured gardens, but it’s the eclectic group of residents who suspect the answers are closer to home. This is a hugely impressive debut that’s cosy and classy in equal measure. A super-smart and delightful mystery that teases out the secrets of an entire neighbourhood for a clever and satisfying denouement. Whyte is one to watch. Five bright and lively stars.”
JANICE HALLETT, bestselling author of THE APPEAL
“I just loved 10 Marchfield Square. Clever, funny, ingeniously constructed – and what a cast! The mystery is gripping and beautifully unguessable, the characters are bursting with life, and the square itself is drawn with such subtlety and love. Brilliant!”
ALEX HAY, bestselling author of THE HOUSEKEEPERS
“Celeste Van Duren is my new hero! A cosy detective force to be reckoned with in a caper that’ll hook you from the off! Fresh and traditional all at once, Whyte crafts a brand new kind of cosy mystery that leaps off the page and keeps you thinking throughout. I laughed, I gasped and I was guessing throughout. A proper cosy whodunnit that oozes charm, wit and bloody murder.”
JONATHAN WHITELAW, author of THE BINGO HALL DETECTIVES
“Utterly delightful. Whyte writes with both cool wit and warm charm, and combines a charismatic cast of eccentric characters with a properly knotty murder mystery. This book is a real winner for anyone who wants a crime novel with a Golden Age feel but modern sensibilities. More please.”
ALICE BELL, author of GRAVE EXPECTATIONS
“Whyte’s writing, her ability to draw us into the lives of the characters and feel real empathy for them, her complex weaving of motives and events to confuse us, and her brilliance in dropping clues that make us wonder what is really going on, make this a novel that is hard to put down.”
PAMELA KRAMER, BookReporter.com
“I really enjoyed 10 Marchfield Square, truly an excellent debut! Well-written, clever, and entertaining, I was hooked from the first to the last page. I loved the wonderful cast of characters, the intriguing mystery, and the setting of the gated community was well-thought. I loved the ending and it gave me hope for more Audrey and Lewis’s investigations.”
NOEMI PROIETTI, BookAfterBook.blog
“10 Marchfield Square marks Nicola Whyte as a promising new voice in crime fiction. Her ability to balance cozy mystery elements with meaningful character development and social observation elevates this debut above many similar offerings in the genre. The novel’s greatest achievement is creating a world readers will want to revisit and characters they’ll genuinely care about.”
BOOKCLB, bookclb.com
“Nneka Okoye’s spirited performance brings out all of the humor, drama, and sentiment that overtakes Marchfield Square when a thoroughly disliked tenant is murdered in Number 10… Listeners are treated to the full array of the narrator’s gifts in this well-characterized cozy mystery debut. The ending hints that we may hear more from Audrey and Lewis–and, we hope, Okoye.”
KIRKUS AUDIOBOOK REVIEWS
“The writing [in Murder Like Clockwork] is lean and intelligent, avoiding the heavy-handed drama often found in modern mysteries. The prose stays light, favoring a dry wit that keeps the reader slightly off balance. By focusing on the timing of the crime rather than the culprit alone, the story avoids genre clichés. The atmosphere is British cozy with a sharp edge… The book manages to be inventive without being flashy. While the amateur sleuth trope is familiar, the mechanical precision of the plot makes it unique. It does not rely on shock value to keep attention. Instead, it provides a puzzle that requires genuine thought. It is a reminder that the most significant secrets are often hidden in the places we think we have already cleaned.”
FOCUSREAD, focusread.blogspot.com
“I hoped [Murder Like Clockwork] would be the quick, entertaining read I needed to help avoid a reading slump – and it was! The characters are well drawn and quirky, the mystery is cleverly plotted without being too difficult to follow and the overall tone is light and humorous.”
SHEREADSNOVELS, shereadsnovels.com