A year ago, when I reviewed Elizabeth Penney’s first Ravensea Castle mystery, Bodies and Battlements, I said it was one of the best cozy mysteries I’d read in some time. The second one, Dungeons and Danger, does nothing to change my mind. Yes, I did have trouble keeping the members of the ghost-hunting team straight, but I like the local characters, the Yorkshire local history, and the castle ghosts.
Nora Asquith is the family member in charge of the B&B at Ravensea Castle. The castle has been in the family since 1138, and it’s one of Yorkshire’s most haunted sites. That’s why four ghost-hunters show up to film there, and why Professor Norman Tweedy from the University of York made an agreement with Nora’s father. The family historian is allowing Tweedy to hunt for Viking treasure on the property. But, it seems the man has already made enemies of the ghost-hunters, his former students. And, once Nora, the family, and staff get to know the disagreeable man, it’s easy to see why he has enemies.
So, Nora is juggling her guests while also preparing for All Hallows’ Eve. The Vikings did not celebrate that holiday, but they observed Vetnaetr, Winter Nights, in October. That’s the festival Nora’s brother Will is brinigng to the castle grounds, a one-day festival for five hundred people to promote his mead brand. There will be Vikings, an ox roast, a bonfire, vendors, and a surprise at sunset. But, the biggest surprise is a murder.
Because Nora is dating Finlay Cole, a Detective Inspector with the Yorkshire police, he’s not allowed to work that case. That doesn’t stop Nora from observing her guests, who all seem obsessed with the castle’s ghosts and the Viking treasure. As in the past, the castle ghosts have a stake in keeping the family safe. If they need to provide a few pointers in the right direction, they can turn to Nora.
As I mentioned before, I appreciate the Asquith family history, the castle, and the family itself. Cozy readers who enjoy a ghostly mystery might appreciate Elizabeth Penney’s Ravensea Castle mysteries, including the latest, Dungeons and Danger.
Elizabeth Penney’s website is https://www.elizabethpenneyauthor.com/
Dungeons and Danger by Elizabeth Penney. Minotaur Books, 2026. 288p
FTC Full Disclosure – I received a galley from the publicist through NetGalley, with no expectation of a positive review.
