The Briar Hill Wedding Murder: And The Women Of The Archives (Blackboard Belles Cozy Mysteries) by Samantha Noble #Review #FREEBOOK @samanthanobleauthor

The Briar Hill Wedding Murder: And The Women Of The Archives (Blackboard Belles Cozy Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Virginia
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0H86K8VK7
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published
Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 16, 2026
Print length ‏ : ‎ 176 pages
Paperback
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8186427384
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0H86K8VK7
Kindle
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0H85G7JXW
Audiobook
ASIN : B0CY8362RN

The wedding never happened. The murder did.

Bookstore owner and former English teacher Felice Mendes expects nothing more mysterious than family drama when she arrives at historic Briar Hill Estate for the wedding of the season. But before the bride can walk down the aisle, the groom is found dead—and suspicion quickly falls on the wrong man.

Felice knows better than most that every story has more than one side. With the help of her friends, the Blackboard Belles—a sharp-eyed circle of retired educators who never lost the habit of asking questions—she begins sorting fact from gossip and following clues others have overlooked.

What they uncover reaches far beyond one disastrous wedding: old family wounds, a historic mill worth fighting for, forgotten documents, broken promises, and a trail of quiet observations someone has been preserving for years.

In Cartwell, Virginia, the past has a long memory—and someone was counting on its secrets staying buried.

With an innocent man’s future at stake, Felice and the Belles must piece together the story before the wrong person pays for a murder he didn’t commit.

Perfect for readers who love clever amateur sleuths, independent bookshops, close-knit friendships, charming animal companions, small-town secrets, and traditional cozy mysteries where every clue matters.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

The historic Briar Hill Estate in Cartwell, Virginia, is a wonderful place for a wedding and apparently a murder as well.

Retired teacher and now bookstore owner Felice Mendes arrives at the wedding with her book favors ordered by the bride right after the guests are seated and just before the groom is found with an elegant letter opener stabbed through a contract and into his chest. Thirty years of teaching had trained Felice to assess situations before reacting, but with Gerald Holt dead, there would be no wedding, and any of the 200 guests could have killed him, but the police have their focus on one man, the wrong man. This is a clear case for the Blackboard Belles, a group of retired educators with keen investigative skills. They will dig deep to uncover all the connections and unearth every secret and clue so an innocent man doesn’t find himself behind bars for a crime he didn’t commit.

I was pulled in by the characters Ms. Noble created for this story. Felice, a former English teacher; Fiona, a former high school teacher; Ramona, a former school librarian; and Maureen, a former elementary teacher, are joined by Samuel, a retired science teacher, and are the Blackboard Belles. We also meet Myrtle the cockatiel, Pickle, a beagle, and a tuxedo cat named Captain Whiskers. All are unique and have their own talents. I felt I was missing some history because it was said that “Cartwell had eventually started calling them the Blackboard Belles.” The retired educators “gathered around Forget Me Not Books and somehow found themselves untangling other people’s mysteries”.  Since this is the first book I have read by Ms. Noble, I don’t know if they were introduced in another series.

The mystery was complicated and needed every Belle’s input. I thought using a blackboard as a murder board to keep track of each connection, clue, and theory was fun. What surprised me was that it was on full display in the bookstore. Usually in stories like this, they are kept hidden. There is a lot of repetition as Felice goes over the evidence and clues to bring them together and to move the investigation forward. There were also a few editing errors that gave me pause but not enough to ruin the story. I enjoyed how everyone worked together and that while Deputy Okafor isn’t happy about the Belles investigating, he was open to accepting information from them. I would have loved to meet Cora Alcott, a now deceased housekeeper, who kept, saved, and recorded everything; every transaction, every agreement, and she kept meticulous records. Records that were key to solving the case. My kinda lady!

The Briar Hill Wedding Murder is filled with genuine small-town characters and charm. I had a great time tagging along with the Blackboard Belles and look forward to visiting Cantwell again soon. Pressed Between The Pages, the next book in this series, was recently released, and as I write this review, it is FREE in the Kindle format. I will be reviewing it soon.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC.

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About the Author

Samantha Noble is the author of the Hazelwood High Jinx and Purrs & Puzzles Cat Café cozy mystery series, where the gossip is juicy, the animals sometimes seem smarter than the humans, and the bodies always seem to turn up at the worst possible time.

Set in small towns bursting with secrets (and the occasional sass from a parrot or a dog or a cat), Samantha’s mysteries blend humor, heart, and whodunits that’ll keep you guessing. Whether you’re following a curious innkeeper, a determined cat café owner, or a parrot with a taste for drama, you’re in for a delightful dose of cozy crime-solving.

When she’s not writing or wrangling plot twists with her editors or VA Chad Penwright, or getting suggestions from her Beta Team or ARC team, Samantha is likely sipping something caffeinated, daydreaming about her next book cover, or driving around town plotting murders (fictional ones—promise!).

Author Links – Website – Instagram – Facebook – GoodReads – TikTok – X – BookBub – 

Find ALL of Samantha Noble’s books HERE. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” “As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.” I am also an affiliate of Bookshop.org, and I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.” These funds are often used for gift cards and other giveaways.