ARC Review: An Unfinished Murder by Jude Deveraux

An Unfinished Murder
Author: Jude Deveraux
Series: A Medlar Mystery (Book 5)
Publication: MIRA; Original edition (April 30, 2024)

Description: Sara Medlar may be retired as a bestselling author, but her career as an amateur detective is facing one final mystery—and it’s a killer.

Retired romance novelist Sara Medlar has been comfortably sharing her large home with her niece Kate and her “honorary grandson” Jack. It’s a convenient arrangement given the Medlar Three, as they’ve become known, are often working closely together to solve mysteries in their small town of Lachlan, Florida. But when real estate agent Kate announces she’s been given the listing for the town’s storied Lachlan House, it sets off alarm bells for Sara and Jack. The infamous house has a dark history, one that’s certain to haunt them all.

With little memory of her childhood, Kate doesn’t understand what the fuss is about—until the trio visits the house and makes a grim discovery. Flooded by memories of the past, Kate realizes she spent time there as a child. But stumbling upon a skeleton dressed in a rotting tuxedo—a murder victim with connections to her father—causes Kate to wonder if the childhood she can’t remember might be one she’d rather forget.

As Sara, Kate and Jack delve deeper into the dead man’s history, they learn he was last seen at a party held at Lachlan House in the late nineties—a swanky soiree attended by his many enemies. With more than one motive in play, every partygoer is a suspect, and Sara is determined to find the culprit, even if it means digging up past secrets she’s worked hard to keep buried.

My Thoughts: This story begins when Kate is given the listing for Lachlan House. When she, Sara, and Jack go to look at it, Kate is overwhelmed with memories of having spent time there as a child. Trauma had erased many of Kate's childhood memories so this ease in Lachlan House rings alarm bells for Sara and Jack.

Things escalate when they find a skeleton sealed up in a closet in the playroom and escalate more when they find one of Kate's toys stuffed with jewels in the skeleton's skull. Things become interesting when the Medlar Three, along with Kate's father Randal, decide to try to recreate the weekend party that ended with the death of the man who is now the skeleton in the closet. 

The story is filled with interesting characters, many of whom have connections with Sara, Randal, Kate and Jack, who all have their reasons to come back to a place they left twenty-five years earlier because there are secrets there. 

I enjoyed this twisty plot filled with suspicious characters. I also enjoyed a resolution to the romance between Kate and Jack which has been brewing since the first book. And we finally learn the secrets hidden in Sara's romance with Jack's grandfather. 

Favorite Quote:

"I want to be one of those TV detectives," Sara said. "In the last five minutes, they put together every word everyone has said and voila! they know who the murderer is."

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.