Murder in a Cornish Teashop by Fliss Chester

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing "Murder in a Cornish Teashop”  by Fliss Chester  the first instalment of The Maddie Penrose mystery series  set in the in the .  What a great start to a new series.

Buy here 

A Cornish clifftop, a sunny afternoon, a quaint little teashop… but wait a minute. Is that jam, or blood? Maddie Penrose is determined to find out!

Maddie Penrose is staying with her beloved grandmother, Nor, at her gorgeously idyllic Cornish farm. She’s looking forward to days helping out in Nor’s little teashop and evenings wandering down the cliff path to watch the sunset. But before Maddie has even finished serving up scones on her first morning, a man bursts through the door: Nor’s neighbour Clive has found a body in the field behind the teashop…

Maddie is straight to the scene, fancying herself as a bit of an Agatha Christie. But solving this mystery is far from a piece of cake. Her list of suspects is jam-packed with locals, with some a little too close to home: the newcomer renting out one of Nor’s barns is acting suspiciously, the victim’s boyfriend has disappeared without trace, and Clive isn’t really Maddie’s cup of tea either…

But the proof is in the pudding when there’s another murder – her prime suspect is dead. And when Maddie finds a backpack belonging to the first murder victim, her diligent notetaking and quick thinking leads her to discover that the killer will act again, and soon. Maddie is horrified to discover that it looks like she is their next target…

Can Maddie and Nor work as a team to piece together the puzzle? Or will murdering Maddie be the icing on the cake for the killer?

A totally addictive, witty and warm cozy mystery that will keep you reading late into the night, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Verity Bright.

Author Fliss Chester is a new to me author but I had heard this was a good cozy mystery.   This story follows Maddie Penrose, who is taking a break from her hectic life as a chef in London and escaped to her Grans farm and Teashop in the quaint town of Pendragon Creek, Cornwall.  

But before Maddie has even finished serving up scones on her first morning, a man bursts through the door: Nor’s neighbour Clive has found a body in the field behind the teashop…

Can Maddie and Nor work as a team to piece together the puzzle? Or will murdering Maddie be the icing on the cake for the killer? 

I enjoyed Fliss Chester’s writing style and the charming Cornwall setting. This was a quick, engaging read, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the series develops.

Recommended for fans of cozy mysteries, British settings, and amateur sleuths

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I requested and received an advanced readers copy from Publisher and NetGalley.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you for stopping by and visiting my little blog!
I always love reading comments and getting to know my fellow cozy lovers.

Hugs,

A Summertime Murder by Mary Grand

Hello my cozy friends, 

Today I am reviewing “A Summertime Murder” by Mary Grand the 5th instalment in the "The Isle of Wight Killings" series.  I enjoyed this book it’s a slow burn, entertaining mystery. 

Buy here 

Susan never imagined herself an amateur sleuth, and she certainly never goes looking for trouble, preferring days spent walking her loyal dogs Libs and Rocco, and maybe even a dip in the sea to cool off after this interminable heatwave.

When she hears of a break-in at the vet’s where her new neighbour works, Susan’s curiosity is piqued.

And then, a few days later, the lead vet, Peter, mysteriously disappears. They assume it's business related until his body is washed up on the beach close to his clifftop home.

Susan is convinced he was murdered and slowly discovers that each of the small group of suspects has a motive. Is the killing linked to the break-in… or is this a crime of passion?

Once again, Susan finds herself piecing together clues in her search for the truth. Can she untangle the lies before someone else dies?

Return to the beautiful coastline of the Isle of Wight in this engrossing and unputdownable cosy mystery!

Once again, Susan finds herself piecing together clues in her search for the truth. Can she untangle the lies before someone else dies?

The mystery is expertly crafted, with just the right number of suspects to keep you guessing. The twists and turns are plentiful, and I didn't see the culprit coming.

Susan is a relatable protagonist who's had to start over after her husband left her. She's built a new life, made friends, and discovered a talent for solving mysteries. Her character growth in this story is compelling, and I appreciate that she's not static – she's complex and multi-dimensional.

I am sad that there won’t be anymore in the series, but look forward to Mary’s next book.

I requested and received an advanced readers copy from Boldwood Books and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.

Please join the conversation and comment below.  Have you read… If so what did you think/like

Thank you for stopping by and visiting my little blog!

I always love reading comments and getting to know my fellow cozy lovers.

Hugs,

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

The Potting Shed Murder by Paula Sutton

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing "The Potting Shed Murder ” the first instalment in A Hill House Vintage Murder Mystery series by Paula Sutton set in Pudding Corner, a Norfolk hamlet full of quintessentially English charm.   

Buy here 

From the creator of Hill House Vintage and “Queen of Cottagecore” (Vogue), a fresh, witty, fun, and delightfully quirky cozy crime novel set in a seemingly sleepy English village for fans of Richard Osman, Parini Shroff, Benjamin Stevenson, and Anthony Horowitz.

“Miss Marple for the 21st Century.” ―S.J. Bennett, author of The Windsor Knot

Welcome to the beautiful, bucolic village of Pudding Corner, where there's death amongst the dahlias . . .

Daphne Brewster has gladly swapped south London for Pudding Corner, a Norfolk hamlet full of quintessentially English charm. With a mix of stone cottages, Georgian architecture, and Victorian Gothic houses all nestled together and surrounded by fields of gold and green, Pudding Corner and its neighboring village of Pepperbridge seem as far from the bustle of city living as one can get.

For Daphne, joy at moving into beautiful Cranberry Farmhouse with her husband, James, and their three young children is tempered by some concerns about being the only Black woman for miles around. But within a few short months, Daphne has become known as the parish’s “Vintage Lady” and has set up her own shop. Business is thriving, and so is her family. As for Pudding Corner, it’s rapidly revealing itself to be filled with complicated, intertwined lives on par with anything she left behind. Then the local school’s headmaster is found dead in his allotment patch, unleashing a storm of secrets and scandal.

Even a sleepy village has its social hierarchy, and as her new friend, Minerva, becomes a target of whispers and speculation, Daphne can’t resist getting involved. Fighting for the underdog comes as naturally as sourcing the perfect vintage piece. But there is more at stake here than Daphne could have guessed, and a killer who has succeeded once is all too willing to try again . . .

I enjoyed this story.  Pudding Corner, is rapidly revealing itself to be filled with complicated, intertwined lives on par with anything she left behind. Then the local school’s headmaster is found dead in his allotment patch, unleashing a storm of secrets and scandal.

Even a sleepy village has its social hierarchy, and as her new friend, Minerva, becomes a target of whispers and speculation, Daphne can’t resist getting involved. Fighting for the underdog comes as naturally as sourcing the perfect vintage piece. But there is more at stake here than Daphne could have guessed, and a killer who has succeeded once is all too willing to try again . . .

I like the protagonist Daphne and her family, there were a few characters you love to hate as well as your quirky small village side characters.  

The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and had plenty of twists to keep engaged right to the very end.  I kept guessing and second-guessing myself but I was right on who the killer was.     

I recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends. I can’t wait for book two!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I requested and received an advance readers copy from NetGalley and the publisher.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you for stopping by and visiting my little blog!
I always love reading comments and getting to know my fellow cozy lovers.

Hugs,