Murder at the Inn - Katie Gayle

 Julia Bird loves the village pub quiz, but it seems one of her team won’t make it to the next round alive…

On the first Tuesday of each month, Julia Bird and her Agatha Quizteam teammates take part in Berrywick’s village pub quiz. They take it seriously – what’s the point of playing, after all, if you aren’t in it to win it? But it seems someone connected with the quiz night has taken the competition to a whole new level when Lilian, the local police constable and all-round general knowledge expert, is found fatally stabbed after the evening’s final round.

With local DI Hayley Gibson stuck home with a broken leg and an incompetent Superintendent brought in from the nearby town, it’s up to Julia to make sure the investigation stays focused – whether they like it or not! While the police are convinced that the murderer is linked to Lilian’s professional life, Julia turns her amateur sleuthing eye to suspects much closer to home. Perhaps Lilian’s personal life could have something to do with the dreadful crime?

When another quiz team member is attacked, Julia is finally put on the right track. But what could possibly be important – or dangerous – enough for two attendees of the pub quiz night to meet such foul ends over? Could the culprit really be among them on that busy Tuesday night? As Julia’s race to identify the killer ramps up to desperate heights, she wonders, where will the murderous spree end?

Perfect for fans of M.C. Beaton, Faith Martin and Betty Rowlands, Murder at the Inn is a brilliantly compelling English cosy mystery.

My Review

Julia Bird seems to find herself caught up in murder after murder. She moved to the country for a quiet life, but the murder rate there seems to be sky-high! This time someone seems to be targeting members of a local pub quiz team.
I do enjoy these mysteries, the combination of a murder to solve and the humour that comes through really works well. This time, Julia's rather naughty dog Jake found himself a new best friend; a chicken!
I didn't manage to solve this one until nearly the very end when I had guessed who had done it, but it was more of a guess than any cleaver deducing on my part. Still, it was a fun read and I'm looking forward to more in this series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

Author Bio:

Katie Gayle is the writing partnership of best-selling South African writers, Kate Sidley and Gail Schimmel. Kate and Gail have, between them, written over ten books of various genres, but with Katie Gayle, they both make their debut in the cozy mystery genre. Both Gail and Kate live in Johannesburg, with husbands, children, dogs and cats. Unlike their sleuth Epiphany Bloom, neither of them have ever stolen a cat from the vet.

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A body at the tea rooms - Dee MacDonald

 Meet Kate Palmer! A semi-retired nurse with a sweet tooth for cake and a talent for solving crimes.

Kate Palmer is most disappointed when renovations at her sister Angie’s new tea rooms are derailed after a body is discovered in the cellar. She was looking forward to clotted cream teas with a seaside view. Instead, she has another murder mystery to solve…

If the village gossip is to be believed, the unfortunate man was connected to the wealthy Hedgefield family. Kate is reluctant to get caught up in the investigation but a curious card in the victim’s jacket pocket sparks her interest. Not to mention the ridiculous rumour Angie is somehow involved! Keen to clear her sister’s name so she can finally eat cake in the charming tea rooms, Kate teams up with handsome retired Detective ‘Woody’ Forrest to untangle the baffling case.

After quizzing the locals over copious cups of tea, Kate begins to realise the Hedgefields, who live in a grand mansion and own half the village, are not as perfect as they make out. They’re hiding a long-buried family secret and plenty of people have a grudge against them, including a number of their ex-employees.

But who could have murdered a member of Lower Tinworthy’s most enviable family? Was it the old gardener? The seemingly sweet cook? Or the bitter maid?

Just as she inches closer to the truth, Angie goes missing. Does amateur sleuth Kate have what it takes to get to the bottom of this extraordinary puzzle and save her sister at the same time?

If you love murder mysteries with a brilliant cast of characters, twisty plots and plenty of cake, A Body at the Tea Rooms will have you hooked until the very last page! Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Faith Martin and Joy Ellis.

My Review

A Body at the Tea Rooms by Dee MacDonald
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The third book in the Kate Palmer series finds Kate with a skeleton on her hands. Her sister Angela has been busy renovating her coffee shop and in the process manages to unearth a skeleton. It isn't long before Kate is deep into the mystery, trying to find out what had happened. Now that her boyfriend Woody is retired from the police force, he seems a little more willing to help her out. It's still Kate that leads this investigation.
I do enjoy these gentle mysteries. Kate is a likeable character who just seems to have a knack for getting people to open up to her. That said, I had this one figured out long before Kate did and neither she or her ex-policeman boyfriend seem to be that quick on the uptake when it comes to some of the clues.
That doesn't really matter though. The mystery worked and I enjoyed Kates attempts to get to the bottom of everything. I'm not sure what murder she'll manage to stumble across next, but I've no doubt that this will be the last one that she finds herself in the middle of.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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A Dangerous Goodbye - Fliss Chester

Your lost love never came home after the war. Would you risk everything to find out what happened

to him?

1944. While war rages in Europe, Fenella Churche is doing her bit in the green fields of England. But when she finds a letter addressed to her on the scrubbed farmhouse table, she knows the news won’t be good. She hasn’t heard from her fiancé Arthur since he was posted to France on a dangerous undercover mission, and from his very first words she knows he may not be coming back.

I fear this may be my last letter to you, my darling, Arthur writes. Fen won’t give up hope and calls the war office, wanting to know if Arthur is still alive; they refuse to tell her anything. Searching for answers, she returns to his letter, but parts of it just don’t make sense. Through her tears Fen realises that her darling Arthur is giving her all the clues she needs to find out what happened to him.

1945. With the war behind them and nothing left for her in England, Fen travels to the deceptively pretty French village where she thinks Arthur might be, but there’s no sign of him. She’s close to giving up when she finds his silver cigarette case and another letter full of clues. But when the local priest is killed, it’s clear someone wants to keep wartime secrets buried. If Arthur, a brilliant spy, was outwitted and betrayed, can Fen stay alive long enough to find out what happened to the man she loves?

A gripping story of war, mystery, espionage and murder. Fans of Jacqueline Winspear, Charles Todd and Rhys Bowen will absolutely adore this unputdownable World War Two murder mystery.

My Review

What a fantastic read this was. If you enjoy historical murder mysteries, then you won't go far wrong with this one. Set just after the close of the second world war, it focuses on Fennela Churche, who travels to France to see if she can find out what has happened to her Fiance. As she starts to look around the chateau and winery that he was based at, it becomes clear that whatever happened to him is tied up with events that are unfolding at the chateau now.

The book had a great sense of time, atmosphere and place. It wasn't hard to picture the small village in 1940's France and the life that they are trying to put back together after the German forces have left. The characters in this book are fantastic, both those who lead the story and those that are on the edges. It adds a great richness to the story.

As for the mystery itself, it worked well. I had solved it and the reasons behind it before the reveal, but that didn't really matter. I was still caught up in the book and wanted to know if my deductions were correct. The whole thing was well signposted with clues and the odd red herring. I don't think it was too obvious though.

I really liked Fen as a character. She's a great combination of brave and daring, without being unbelievable. She certainly feels of her time and not out of place in the historic setting. I quite liked the way that she has a little bit of a weakness when it comes to her appearance, it's these little things that humanise a character.

I really enjoyed A Dangerous Goodbye and will certainly be reading the next book in the series. I'm looking forward to what Fen might get up to next. 

A Body in the Village Hall - Dee MacDonald

A Body in the Village Hall by Dee MacDonald
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sometimes I'm just in the mood for a nice comfortable murder and this book certainly delivered on that. Kate Palmer, our amateur detective finds herself first on the scene at not just one, but two murders. Of course, she can't help but investigate who is behind the murders and starts to poke her nose into the business of everyone in the community that's connected with the two victims. She also strikes up a friendship/early relationship with the police detective inspector who is on the case.
This book fits neatly into the murder in a British village genre. We have a middle-aged woman who has recently moved to the area. As a relative outsider, just arrived in this little corner of Cornwall, she's ideal to go poking around as she doesn't have any long-standing ideas about who the various members of the community are and as she does her investigating, we can find out about them all alongside her.
I have to admit that I hadn't solved this one. By the time the murder was revealed, there really was only one suspect left that could have done it, but I certainly can't lay claim to any skill in getting there myself. Kate did make a few leaps as she figured things out, but there was nothing too far fetched or unbelievable. Unless, that is you count how willing Woody, her detective friend is to let her go poking around. Then again, he clearly fancies her, so maybe he would just let her crack on.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read that kept me guessing until the end. It's not edge of the seat stuff, but sometimes you just want a murder that's a little bit more gentle. I'll definitely be checking out more in this series if and when they come out.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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The Body in the Dumb River - George Bellairs

The Body in the Dumb River: A Yorkshire Mystery by George Bellairs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have to admit that what first drew me towards these British Library Crime Classic books was the covers, what keeps me coming back are the great stories and new authors that I have discovered. I have to admit that I had no idea that there were so many crime authors in what is often called the golden age of crime writing. I foolishly thought that it was just Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers and other well-loved authors that I have read over time. With each one of these books that I read, I discover someone new and they all seem to have something different to offer.
The Body in the Dumb River opens more or less with the discovery of the body. In many similar books, we are introduced to a cast of characters and it soon becomes clear that many people might have cause to be the killer once the murder occurs. Not so here, instead, with the exception of one or two people, everyone seems to love the dead man Jim and no one can quite seem to understand who could have done away with him. Of course, as the story unfolds it becomes clear who it was who might have wanted to kill him, even if it's not so obvious how it was done.
Chief inspector Littlejohn is a likeable character and works well as the primary detective in the case. I enjoyed reading his story and as this is number 35 in the series, it's clear that he has plenty of experience. I don't know how easy it would be to find more of the Littlejohn books, but I'd certainly be keen to read more if I came across them.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Death in the Village - Betty Rowlands

Death in the Village: A totally gripping British cozy murder mystery by Betty Rowlands
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm going to be really sad when this series comes to an end, I've become quite fond of Sukey and her investigations. This is book eleven and I think that there are only two more left in the series. Reading these books is very much like meeting up with an old friend for a good old chin wag. I've never been a fan of the term cosy mystery and I think in many ways, this doesn't totally fit into that category, but there is something cosy about the familiarity of these books.
This time Sukey is involved in the investigation into a missing girl. There is also a question mark over death from seemingly natural causes. As the story progresses more things need to be looked into and it's not clear if any of them are connected at all. Sukey now has a boyfriend, a journalist who's father happens to live quite close to her. She enlists him to help out with a bit of poking around into something that isn't really an ongoing investigation and in the processes manages to solve the whole thing.
I have to admit that I had got this one all figured out before Sukey and the other detectives. She didn't make as many dramatic leaps this time, but she did seem to miss one or two things that seemed a bit obvious. I did think that there was a bit of a lack of understanding around computers, the idea that the police wouldn't even look at a missing person's computer until it was suggested that she might have met someone online seemed a little unlikely, even if this book was originally written in 2011.
Sukey now has familiar characters around her, although they are different from those that appeared in the earlier books. Her son Gus, who I've always really liked got barely a mention in this book. I suppose that he will have long finished university and moved away from home, but it would still have been nice to have some input from him.
I'm looking forward to the last two books with a mix of pleasure and sadness. They are always a good read, but I will miss them when I've reached the end.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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The Christmas Card Crime and Other Stories - Martin Edwards

The Christmas Card Crime and Other Stories by Martin Edwards
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I think that I've become a convert to the world of short stories, particularly crime short stories. This is the third anthology that I've read in the last couple of months and I really enjoyed it. The stories here all relate in some way to Christmas. It's a bit early for that yet, but that didn't diminish my enjoyment.
One of the great things about this particular collection is that although all of the stories are what you could call crime stories, they are all very different. It also gives you a great chance to experience authors that you might not have come across before. It's quite surprising how different stories which are essentially in the same genre can be. Some of them deal with the crime from the point of view of the murderer or criminal while others are slightly more traditional in the telling of the tale.
I'm not sure if I have a favourite or not. The story that gives the collection its name was an interesting one, but the same could be said for all of the others.
This is a great little collection of mystery stories.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.


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The Last Seance: Tales of the Supernatural - Agatha Christie

The Last Séance: Tales of the Supernatural by Agatha Christie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've been a fan of Agatha Christie since I first discovered Miss Marple as a child. I have to admit that it has been quite some years since I have read any of her books and I haven't bothered with many of her short stories at all.
This collection all have a supernatural theme. In some cases, such as The Dressmaker's Doll, there is something otherworldly going on. In others, what at first appears to be inexplicable, is revealed to be the result of trickery.
Although the stories do all have a supernatural theme, for the most part they are very much classic Christie and I'm sure that this collection would appeal to any fans of her work. I think that it is a mark of what a good storyteller she is that even though they were short stories, I didn't want to put the book down and found myself ploughing through one after the other.
Fans of her work will love this collection, particularly as both of her beloved detectives Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot appear in more than one story each. People who haven't really tried many of her books before might find this a good way to give some of her stories a go.

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Deep Waters: Murder on the Waves - Martin Edwards

Deep Waters: Murder on the Waves by Martin Edwards
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have to admit that I usually avoid short story collections. Not because I don't enjoy them, but as they are generally a bit longer than a chapter in length, you need a bit longer to sit down and enjoy them. The other danger is that the collection is often a mixed bag, of varying quality. Fortunately, with this collection, they were all enjoyable.
Of course, there were some that I enjoyed more than others. Possibly this had more to do with the style of the story rather than the writing. While some fit into the classic puzzle style, others just follow someone in the undertaking of a crime. One of my personal favourites actually followed someone who wanted to commit murder and get his comeuppance, by way of natural justice by the end of the tale.
I took quite a while over these, simply because I dipped into them from time to time as I read other books in between. Whether you take that approach or tackle one after another, I'm sure that you'll find plenty to enjoy in this collection.

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Murder in the Mill-Race - E.C.R. Lorac

Murder in the Mill-Race by E.C.R. Lorac
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am really enjoying discovering some new to me authors through this British Library Crime Classics series. Like many of the other books that I've read, I hadn't heard of E.C.R. Lorac before this series (although this is the second of her books that I've now read). I always enjoy a good classic mystery and this one was no exception.
The story is set in a small out of the way village. I suspect that such places are now populated with holiday cottages and outsiders who want to escape to the country. That said, I grew up in a small village and in it, I recognised some of the characteristics of the people who populated this fictional village.
The mystery revolves around the death of a local saintly type, who of course turns out to be far from the image that she has tried to cultivate. There are plenty of potential suspects. I did guess who it was before the end, but I wasn't completely convinced that I was right.
This was a gripping read. I suspect for some people it perhaps moves a little slowly, especially by modern standards, but I enjoy this slower-paced style of mystery from time to time. I don't know if there are plans for many more books in this series, but I'll be reading them. I'd also quite like to collect the hard copies, as I love the covers.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Death on a Summer Morning - Betty Rowlands

Death on a Summer Morning: An absolutely gripping cozy mystery novel by Betty Rowlands
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had been a little concerned that as these books progressed, Sukey's going against her boyfriend and the police, in general, to investigate on her own might get a little much. Surely someone can't just keep doing that. Fortunately, in this instalment at least, that little issue has been dealt with to some extent. While Sukey does get involved in her own investigations again in this book, it's really quite reluctantly and she does, on more than one occasion try to involve Jim with her thoughts and ideas.
I do enjoy these mysteries. Sukey is a very likeable character and I enjoy reading about her attempts to get to the bottom of various mysteries. This time she gets drawn in after the seemingly accidental death of a man, while his fiance and daughter won't accept that he wasn't murdered. Sukey manages to solve at least part of the mystery, but not get to the bottom of things completely. (Although I did this time.)
I'm looking forward to the next in this series. I am really enjoying them.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.


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Death at Ivy House - Betty Rowlands

Death at Ivy House: An utterly gripping English cozy mystery by Betty Rowlands
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Five books into the Sukey Reynolds series and I'm really enjoying this scene of crime officer who spends a little too much time investigating things herself. Although unlike some amateur detectives, Sukey has a reason to be involved in the crimes that she investigates, really she shouldn't be looking into them the way that she does. Fortunately for us, the fact that she ignores that and does get involved makes for a good read.
Again with this book, we know a little bit more than Sukey and her detective boyfriend Jim do. If you haven't read any of this series, I should perhaps mention that while Sukey is romantically involved with the lead detective on most of the mysteries that she gets involved in, it isn't really with his blessing, or often even his knowledge. She does seem to have an uncanny knack for getting to the bottom of things.
This was an enjoyable read. The plot did have quite a few twists, turns and players which made me a little confused. I have to admit though, that despite having the extra knowledge to the detectives, I didn't guess who done it until it was revealed.
I'm loving this series and will be reading the next very shortly. If you're looking for a good detective story that itsn't too dark, but doesn't have that frothy rubbish that you often get with so-called 'cosy' mysteries, then this may well be one for you.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.


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Death at Dearly Manor - Betty Rowlands

Death at Dearley Manor by Betty Rowlands
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the second Sukey Reynolds book, and like the Melissa Craig series before it, I've got another amateur detective that I'm enjoying reading about. As a rule, I'm not that keen on so-called cosy mysteries. I don't know that I'd entirely label this series as that. It's not particularly dark or nasty, but a lot more true to life than some of the comedy style cosy mysteries. I prefer to call this type a classic mystery myself.
This time the Sukey find's that the murder is close to home, with her ex-husband being married to the victim and therefore a potential suspect himself. Sukey is not able to be involved directly in the investigation herself and she hands the SOCO work over to a colleague. But, with her son, Gus, worried about his father, she can't help but try and help to get to the bottom of who has committed the murder.
Unfortunately, this time I didn't solve the mystery. There were plenty of suspects that might have been guilty and I just didn't guess right. I really enjoyed reading it though and I can't wait to read her next mystery.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Duplicate Death - Georgette Heyer

Duplicate Death by Georgette Heyer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is one of Georgette Heyer's later murder mystery books, but it features some characters that appeared in an earlier one, They Found Him Dead. I read that not so long ago, so while some time has passed in the book world, the characters were still quite fresh in my mind. I remember with that book, being particularly taken with 14-year-old terrible Timothy. While he might now be a young man in his twenties, he, fortunately, didn't seem to have changed much in this book and was just as much fun to read about. The Chief Inspector, also featured in the previous book, although in that one he was a humble sergeant. He certainly had a soft spot of Terrible Timothy and overall he is one of the more entertaining and interesting detectives that you come across.
Like many of Heyer's murder mysteries, indeed like many from this period, this is quite slow moving, particularly at the start. It takes a little while for the murder to even take place. If you like your murders fast moving, then this might be a little gentle for you, but I loved this old fashioned story.
In terms of the mystery itself, I'm afraid that I hadn't a clue who the guilty party was. I had a few ideas about who it wasn't but didn't manage to establish who had actually done it. It was a very enjoyable read and I liked trying to solve it, even if I didn't get anywhere. Georgette Heyer is usually remembered for her Regency Romances, as much as I love them, I think it's a real shame that she doesn't get more recognition for these fantastic murder mysteries.

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Murder in a Country Garden - Betty Rowlands

Murder in a Country Garden: A completely addictive English cozy murder mystery by Betty Rowlands
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I feel quite sad. This is the last in the Mel Craig series. I've been enjoying reading them over the last few months and now it has come to an end. Actually, that's not quite true, I missed book three in the series and will be going back to that. Even so, it seems to leave me feeling a bit emotional to get to the end. I suppose that there is a limit to how many bodies that Mel could fall upon and she is Melissa Martin by this book.
The storyline this time revolves around the seemingly accidental death of a local man after he was stung by his bees while beekeeping. After another similar death and details emerging about what kind of man the first victim was, it becomes clear to Mel and her new husband Joe that there might be something sinister at work here.
The manner of death in this story was a little unusual, being stung to death seems like a pretty horrid way to go! I have to admit that I didn't manage to solve this one. Not because I was blaming the wrong person, but simply because I hadn't a clue who had actually done the murder.
This was another great read and instalment in the Mel Craig series. I'm quite sad that it's come to an end, but I have really enjoyed reading them all.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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A Blunt Instrument - Georgette Heyer.

A Blunt Instrument by Georgette Heyer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I do enjoy Georgette Heyer's mystery novels. They are of a different time, but there is something that is still so very satisfying when you read them. Like many books of this period, there is a small cast of characters, all of whom potentially have a motive for doing away with the murder victim. Part of the fun is then trying to work out 'who-done-it'.
This particular story was quite ingenious, I did actually guess who the murderer was, but had decided that I must be wrong and barking up the wrong tree. When the big reveal came, I was fairly surprised to discover that I hadn't been mistaken after all.
I think one of the things that make Heyer's novels, both her murder mystery and Regency novels, so enjoyable, is her sense of humour. More than one of the characters in this book appears to be a caricature of a particular type. One of who takes himself very seriously and the other who does not at all.
This was a great read and I really enjoyed following Hemmingway and Hannasyde's attempts to get to the bottom of who the murder was and why. I have a few more of these books still to go, I seem to be reading them in no particular order, but I am looking forward to enjoying another one soon.

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Murder in the Dining Room - Betty Rowlands

Murder in the Dining Room: An absolutely gripping British cozy mystery by Betty Rowlands
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This Mel Craig book as a little different to the previous ones in the series. This time, rather than Mel getting involved in a mystery and investigating what had happened, her mother was in the thick of things. Mel was reunited with her estranged mother in the previous book, after the death of her father. Now in a residential home for the elderly, which is more like a hotel than anything, while she waits for the extension to be done to Mel's house, Sylvia finds that she the death of a dog, followed by her owner makes her suspicious that a murderer is at large.
I did find it quite funny that Mel did her best to stop her mother from investigating when in previous books she's been the one nosing into things and ignoring everyone else. Of course, her mother doesn't listen and before long both Sylvia and Mel are independently trying to get to the bottom of what happened.
This was another really enjoyable mystery. Sadly, this time I didn't quite manage to solve it all before the reveal, but that never detracts from the enjoyment of a book like this. I think that there's only one more Mel Craig book to go, which is a bit of a shame, as I've been thoroughly enjoying them.

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Murder by Matchlight - E.C.R. Lorac

Murder by Matchlight by E.C.R. Lorac
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another great golden age mystery, again from another writer that I haven't come across before. I used to think that I was quite well read when it came to those classic British mysteries from early to mid last century, this series from poisoned pen press just keeps on showing me how wrong I was about that.
This story is set during London in the second world war. This adds a special twist to the mystery itself, with much of it taking place in darkness, in the middle of the blackout. In fact, in many ways, what makes this a mystery to puzzle out, only works because of this setting, with two people witnessing the murder, but due to the blackout, not really being able to see much at all.
One of the joys of these books has been the way that it shows the period in which they are set so clearly. If you were interested in wartime history in England but were not that bothered about mystery books, I think that you would still get a lot out of this. It sets the scene so well.
I have to admit that I didn't solve this one until right at the very end when it all became obvious. It worked well as a mystery and it was a thoroughly enjoyable read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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They found him dead - Georgette Heyer

They Found Him Dead by Georgette Heyer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love a good who done it and this one is certainly that. Not only did I find that the storyline drew me in, but I also loved all of the characters. They were beautifully portrayed and I found them so engaging from the very beginning.

Much of the start of this book is spent building up the background story, with the mystery coming in later in the book. Sometimes books like this can drag a little bit, but the story itself drew you along so that it didn't matter that there wasn't much of a mystery to get your teeth in straight away.

Once the murder actually takes place, there was the usual cast of potential suspects and plenty of clues and red herrings to confuse and enlighten. As well as the two professional detectives, Hannasyde and Hemingway, (who apparently appear in some of Heyer's other mystery novels). A young member of the family, fourteen-year-old Timothy, spends much of his time trying to work out who the murderer is. I loved how excited he was, diving around, without really taking anything very seriously. He reminded me very much of my own son, who is a little bit younger, he was fantastic though and really added to my enjoyment of this book.

The mystery itself worked well. I had pretty much solved it by the end of the book and before the detectives in the book had got there. It wasn't too obvious though and worked well (my two usual tests for a good murder mystery).

This was a great read and an excellent classic style mystery. I really enjoyed it and I love Georgette Heyer's writing. I'll certainly be giving some more of her mystery novels a go.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Murder at Benbury Brook - Betty Rowlands

Murder at Benbury Brook: An absolutely gripping English cozy mystery by Betty Rowlands
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another great book from Betty Rowlands in the Melissa Craig series. I did wonder how she would fare now that Iris, her next door neighbour and close friend had left for France. The arrival of a new neighbour to live, at least for the time being in Iris's cottage soon throws Mel into the midst of another mystery and it isn't long before she finds herself involved in a little sleuthing.

With the changes that happened in the last book, I knew that we were likely to be without a few of the supporting characters from previous books. Although I have always enjoyed reading about them, they weren't really missed her and Mel still had a couple of friendly faces to rely upon.

This time the mystery focuses on the death of a girl was it an accident, or something more sinister? There is also something decidedly seedy going on in the village. It becomes pretty clear what's going on, although there are no graphic descriptions, just enough hints to make it clear what certain characters have been doing. I've said before that I feel that these books are more 'classic mysteries' than cosy mysteries. Although things aren't spelt out as such, I think that the crimes do make these more classic than cosy, but perhaps that's because I tend to be a little dismissive of the term 'cosy' and see it as twee and insubstantial, which these novels certainly aren't.

One of the joys of this series is the way that village life is depicted. I don't know if it's because I grew up in an English village and I relate to this picture, or just because it's so well written, a little of both perhaps? I suppose that there is a little nostalgia too, with these books being set (and written) twenty years or so ago now. That doesn't detract from the enjoyment though, these are great mysteries and a good read, even if the world has moved on a little.

The more of this series I read, the more I enjoy them. I can't wait to see what the next book has in store for Mel.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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