Barbara’s rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Series: Gravesyde Priory Mystery #3
Publication Date: 3/19/24
Period: Regency
Number of Pages: 322

I am really loving this series and I hope you will as well. I love the mysteries and I love the characters, but I think what I love best is the process of making a family from such disparate backgrounds – and, yes, they really do become a family. You really do need to read the series in order of publication to get a true appreciation for each family member and their relationships – and where they fit in within the whole. They are a delightfully eclectic mix of eccentric characters – and you will love them all. You see, the Earl of Wycliffe died and left Gravesyde Priory to all of his kin – and that certainly creates a tangled mess. After much searching of the family tree, invitations were sent out to the various and sundry members asking them to come to Gravesyde Priory, take up residence (or not), and join the clan. Those who do show up are in desperate need, in hiding, irritated, etc., and all of them – on whichever side of the blanket they were born – find a home, acceptance, and family. They also find a mystery, several dead bodies, and romance along the way. Yes, it is a lovely series – and now – something about this book.

Weddings! Yes, three couples are sorely irritated because – well – how can they be married when there is no church and no curate to read the banns or perform the ceremony? Then, miraculously, a curate and his family show up – and he claims to hold the tenancy as curate for life. Well – where the devil has he been? At first, the folks at Gravesyde Priory dismiss his claim, but when he and his family move into the parsonage and begin to restore it and the church – and the people of the village remember them – maybe the curate really is who he claims to be.

The curate doesn’t appear to be well-loved by many in the village, and the folks at the Priory soon discover why. Then, they discover the curate’s body. Oh, goodness. Now they have a murder to solve and no weddings to plan. Since the curate’s son is also a man of the cloth, he’s just there to get his parents and sister settled, perhaps they can convince him to stay on as curate. Or, is he the one who murdered his father?

With many very old secrets and lots of suspects, the residents of the Priory will have to tread carefully to solve the curate’s murder – and the others that came after. Yes, multiple murders, many secrets, unwilling witnesses, and a villain that will surprise you!

I loved the book. The writing, as always, was excellent, and the characters – old and new – are so very likable. We did finally get one wedding – and we got a new romance, so maybe there are three more weddings to come rather than just the two remaining. I can recommend this series and this book and I hope you will love them as much as I do. Happy Reading!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
2024-read author-arc iblog ...more4 s Annette1,675 7

This is the story of a family. This is no ordinary family. It is a family made up of various people who are related to one another in varied ways. It also includes some people who just happened by and joined the crowd. The members of the family are each wonderful people.

Although this is the third book in the series, it is easy to follow the action. I would recommend that reading the first two books would make things much easier to understand It is not absolutely necessary, but it would be much more fun.

An Earl died. He left a will. In the will, he left his property, Gravesyde, to a male heir. The only male heir is a retired American soldier, Hunt. Another person who received a letter about inheriting property is Clare. Money, or the lack thereof, is a problem for her. She rents out her London home and comes to Gravesyde. It seemed a good idea at the time.

The first two books are filled with the slow but steady increasing number of family members who come to Gravesyde. Everyone is related, or possibly related in different ways. Or maybe not related at all. Each story is different, but all stories are fascinating.

In this book, a curate and his family arrive to put the village church to rights and start services. The family had been there years ago. And the timing is perfect because there are at least three couples who want to marry.

But, then there is a murder. And then there is an attack which seems to be attempted murder. And so it goes.

Ms Rice has created a fast moving plot. The action holds the reader’s interest in such a way that staying up late to finish the book is a real possibility. It was for me.

The characters are wonderful.

This story focuses on Patience, the daughter of the curate, and Henri. Henri is a French emigre cousin who works as a peddler for the household. In fact the beauty of this large family is everyone contributes their abilities for the common good.

Patience wants to be a gardener. That is what gives her joy. Henri would to be able to stay at home and stop his constant traveling. The two of them become a team in order to investigate the murders. Both have skills which work well for investigations. At the same time, they share personal histories.

The beauty of this book is that all the personal histories fit together a crazy quilt. Each piece is lovely in its own right and when it is connected to the other pieces, the beauty is breathtaking.

This book has wonderful family relationships and history, mystery and some romance. It also contains honest evaluations of the prejudice and bias that existed in small country villages in England at the time.

I received the book in the hope that I write an honest and fair review. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are completely my own.


Cathy Geha3,919 106

The Bones in the Orchard by Patricia Rice
Graveside Pryory Mystery #3

Love, LOVE, L O V E this author and everything I have read that she has written. This series is brilliantly crafted and filled with wonderful characters that I feel would be good friends if we could meet in real time. Sadly, book friends are on a plane we can only reach through reading. That said, they are always available to spend time with us by opening the book they reside in and rejoining them in their stories.

What I d:
* Patience Upton: curate’s daughter, prefers not to be in the limelight, quiet – till she’s not, has a beautiful voice, loves gardening, capable, good with children, rather taken with Henri
* Henri Lavigne: younger son of a French count, peddler, grew up part of his life in England, glib, sees what people need, good at arbitration, might be ready to settle down…with Patience?
* Getting to see how couples Hunt & Claire, Walker & Meera, and Jake & Elsa are doing
* Wondering if and/or when the others will have their stories told – so many that I won’t name them all but I am curious.
* Paul Upton and his mother Nettie – both learned much about their pasts
* The murder mystery and how it was unraveled – so glad that two of the potential murderers were exonerated
* The plot, pacing, setting, character development, and writing
* That I cared about the characters and the outcome – I am almost as eager for the nuptials to be said as I believe the characters might be!
* Thinking about where the treasure might be and when it will be found
* Knowing that there is another book to look forward to

What I didn’t :
* Who and what I was meant not to
* Having to wait for the next book

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Definitely

Thank you to the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars
Denise458 4

The mysteries in this series are generally interesting and twisty with numerous suspects that keep everyone guessing before they finally figure out the culprit. I didn't this one as much as the last one and that's partially because I care about the characters lives. You have to care about them to make you want to continue reading a series. In this series, I feel the author is dragging out some elements of the stories too long. I felt this with the first book, then it was better in the second book, and now I'm irritated again. It feels she's got her foot on the brake while driving, with sudden stops and starts throughout and I don't understand it. I've read nearly every book Patricia has written and I almost always enjoy them (occasionally not all bits), and the elements are there in this series for me to love, but what she's doing as stated above is making it difficult to keep reading. I want satisfaction with the characters and it's the only thing keeping me reading these books. I struggled with the murders in this book or I should say the investigation and the unmasking of the culprit. The red herrings and clues felt the author didn't have enough to solve it, by spiraling the same clues, guesses, reguesses, and nonsense that I had to quit reading at times to get away from it. The initals... oh the initials! And then, the way it was solved.... I don't even know what to say, except it was rather ridiculous and this book could have ended much sooner. Will I read the next one, yes. Why? Because as I stated above, I care about the main characters and want resolution. I only hope it will be better again, book 2. Carey S.519 7

Patience Upton is the daughter of a former curate from Gravesyde Priory, who argues that he is still the curate. There just wasn’t enough funding, so he left. Her father has some questionable dealings with a variety of different people, several of whom want him to go away. When her father is murdered, Patience and her mother really want to stay at the priory, because they were happy there at one time. They really don’t have any other options. And they learn that they are stronger than they know!

Henri Lavigne is a rake who is eeking out a living as a peddler—selling tools, household items, and notions to the people of the area. He’s the second son of a French noble, but has decided to call the priory his home, along with his brother and the rest of his ‘found’ family. He has discovered a sort of purpose now, and he is drawn to Patience and the mystery of her father’s death.

There are several threads to this story, and there are some strange things happening as well. By the time things get somewhat sorted, readers have learned more about many of the characters inhabiting Gravesyde Priory.

This story was a little bit harder to get into for me. It’s interesting and captivating, but seemed to flow a little slower than the prior story. Readers do delve deeper into many of the characters living at the priory, and that adds to the overall storyline linking each of the books in this series. There are additional clues discovered regarding the mystery of the lost treasure, but they still haven’t found it. I can’t wait to see what happens next! Karen24

Bones in the Orchard, Gravesyde Priory Mystery series book three was by far my favorite in the series so far! Though you will definitely feel more at home at Gravesyde Priory if you read books one and two first, you can certainly read this as a standalone. The mystery is set at Wycliffe Manor, which has been neglected for decades set in a remote failing village. The eclectic family members are trying to bring the manor and village back to life. With each new step forward they seem to run into another obstacle. In Bones in the Orchard, the former curate returns to the village giving hopes to the manor’s residents that Sunday services and weddings might yet again take place, but unbeknownst to them, he brings with him decades old torments and ill-will. Murder is on the rise again in the quiet village! It seems as more people return to the area, so do the murders. Will romance be a bloom or bust as the village and manor grow? The bones from a decades old unconsecrated burial were found under a fallen apple tree in the orchard. Was it murder? The new curate was killed shortly after arrival! His son takes over and is attacked! What will become of the manor and the village? Has it become over run with murders willing to do anything to keep it’s secrets hidden?
For a full background go back and read Book #1 The Secrets of Wycliffe Manor and Book #2 The Mystery of the Missing Heiress before reading this one. This is a fun romantic mystery series! Highly recommend. Cristina19 1 follower

The third book in the series can be read as stand alone, but as an underlying mystery story continues, this book is best read after the second in the series. There are multiple characters to keep track of. For those new to this series, Mrs Rice provided a list of characters at the end of the book and there is a partial family tree at her website that help understand the family ties.

The book is a light read and has a pace that keeps the reader engaged and invested in the storyline. You will wish that you do not need to put the book aside until you reach the end of it. In my opinion it is the best of the series.

There is more mystery and murder than romance. The murders are resolved by the end, one more couple is formed. I think that the addition of new characters at the last chapters is a hint that they could have a protagonist role in the next books.
Julia David2,114 17

I just love this series. Family isn't always the one you are born into; it is the family you make. The inhabitants of Gravesyde Priory have become such a family. When a curate and his family come back to the village, several people are very happy as that means there will be weddings. But the curate is murdered. He wasn't always the nicest guy and so there are so many suspects. It turns out that his wife and daughter are decedents of the old earl too. Just when they think things are coming together, someone ransacks the chapel, and another man is murdered. The curate's daughter, Patience, has caught the eye of Henri, but he isn't the settling down kind of guy. Or is he? Before Henri can think about courting, they have to catch a killer. But is there more than one? Lesley2,015 10

A continuation of the Gravesyde Priory Mysteries. Threads of the previous couples relationships continue, but in this book we see the charming French Henri falling for a curate’s daughter. Whilst the mystery of two murders was resolved, I would have d for Henri and Patience to have acknowledged their feelings for each other, and for the double wedding that was prepared for to have taken place. Obviously the reader will have to wait for the next book to read about that, hopefully joyous, occasion - though of course, there is bound to be a murder or two. Wycliffe Manor seems a dangerous place to reside!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.arc Marla Cohen48 1 follower

I This is the next installment of the Gravesyde Manor saga. This time the protagonist s arePatience Upton, daughter of the curate iof Gravesyde.Priory who is murdered and Henri Lavigne ,one of the Earl of Wycliffe ‘s Reid descendants.As the title suggests, there are bones found in the orchard near the Manor. There is a decades old mystery to be solved,and several murders and of course a romance between Patience and Henri as the plot is unraveled There is secondary theme is will they won’t they finally get married as the weddings of Jack and Elisa and Huntley and Claire seem to never take place as yet. Of course more Reid relations are found in the end. It helps to gave read the prior books as this is not really a standalone . I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full review Sherry Robinson13

The Bones in the Orchard is definitely not a modern-day whodunit that relies on DNA testing and some secretive hacker who can access secure systems to get insider knowledge!

Instead, the inhabitants of Wycliffe Manor rely on the old time-tested ways of determining whose bones are in the orchard and was the curate killed for the information in his notebook – gossip and the rumor mill.

The plot is well-developed, the characters really are … characters. The ending shouldn’t have been a surprise, but it was due to more than a few red herrings.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and will read in again.
Lucia Valenzuela1,152 10

I’m just loving this series. Murders abound and new family members emerge. Wedding plans (finally) plus new romance. Patience and Henri are so well written. Keeping up with the Priory and all its residents makes thoroughly enjoyable reading.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and this is my voluntary, honest review. Laura1,124 6

Autor del comentario:
=================================