Book Review: Murder at the Mena House by Erica Ruth Neubauer (Jane Wunderly #1)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Strong characters, lots of fun

Cons: Plot could be a little stronger

The Bottom Line:

A trip to Egypt

Gets Jane involved in murder

Fun historical

Deadly Trip to Egypt

Something about Murder at the Mena House captured my attention, and I couldn’t wait to dive into the first in this new historical series.  I’m glad I did catch my attention because I enjoyed it.

This book takes us to Egypt in 1926 and introduces us to Jane Wunderly.  Jane is a war widow who is accompanying her aunt Millie on the trip.  She has always dreamed to seeing the Great Pyramids, so this trip is a dream come true.  The only hiccup might be her aunt’s not so subtl attempts at matchmaking.

That is, until she has some run ins with Anna Stainton, a beautiful socialite who has decided Jane is a rival.  When Jane finds Anna’s dead body, the local police think Jane has a good motive for murder.  Reluctantly teaming up with the mysterious Mr. Redvers, Jane begins to hunt for the real killer.  Can she figure out what happened?

This book is charming.  It really did pull me in from the first sentence, and I enjoyed getting lost in this world.  Author Erica Ruth Neubauer does a good job of taking us to 1926 Egypt and bringing it to life.

Adding to the fun are the characters.  Jane is delightful, and I enjoyed spending time with her.  Redvers is mysterious, in a fun way, and their scenes together fairly crackled.  I laughed at their lines several times.  The rest of the cast are equally strong, and helped pull me into the book.  The characters do have layers, and we slowly see them as the events unfold.

I was so busy having fun, it took me a while to realize the plot is a little weak.  There are people acting mysteriously, and Jane and Redvers do find clues to follow, but I felt like the pace could have been a little faster.

But I mentioned the fun, right?  Because I was certainly having fun along the way.  I’m jealous of Jane getting to tour the pyramids.  Or just relaxing around the hotel where the majority of the action takes place.  The climax is suspenseful without losing any of that fun.

I’m very anxious to see where this series is going to go next since Murder at the Mena House is such an enjoyable debut.  Pick up this book today and get lost in time.

Enjoy more trips back in time with the rest of the Jane Wunderly Mysteries.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.