Katie GayleCritiques

The story was good and well told but the final solution didn't satisfy. It seemed to come out of nowhere instead of building upon previous information. Will try another in the series to see if it improves.½

Cozy and daring mystery.
I read it only because I downloaded the book on “stuff your kindle” day.

The characters are lovely. Pip is very sweet young lady. Adventurous for sure! Brave and smart, a little clumsy but bad experiences in life never stoped her and made her brave, adventurous, smart, easy going and a lovely person.

Loved her interactions with everyone she met. Probably won’t read other books but yes, if you want an easy book, you can give it a try.

Cotswolds, wedding-madness, family-dynamics, family-drama, local-law-enforcement, small-town, amateur-sleuth, friendship, cozy-mystery, situational-humor, mild-humor, murder-investigation, suspense, failed-guide-dog, pet-dog, retired, book-club, thrift-shop, twisty*****

The first problem was a guest at the wedding who had inadvertently eaten something with nuts and a case of anaphylaxis. The first death was the caterer frozen in his work van. The first insanity was a viral posting of a rat at a catered wedding shower. And that's just the beginning of this lovely cozy!
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Bookouture via NetGalley. Thank you!
Available March 13, 2024

family, family-dynamics, friendship, law-enforcement, small-town, suspense, murder, murder-investigation, England, amateur-sleuth, Cotswolds, failed-guide-dog, retired, book-club, cosy-mystery, situational-humor, bullies, mild-humor, twisty, teacher *****

The dead woman looked like she died of heart or brain seizure. But she was strangled.
Julia Bird (retired social worker) seems to have a history of finding dead bodies and then sleuthing on her own and then letting law enforcement know what she's found.
The woman was a retired teacher who had been a bully to her students, but it seemed that nobody liked her. Let the sleuthing begin. But who knew that soon there'd be another body related to the bullying teacher's death?
The story moves along at a steady pace, and you really get to know the characters (and they certainly are!). I really enjoyed this escape from hectic living.
I requested and received a free temporary e-book from Bookouture via NetGalley. Thank you!

retired, amateur-sleuth, England, divorcee, Labrador-dog, murder, murder-investigation, library, law-enforcement, small-town, Cotswolds, failed-guide-dog, famous-author, bibliomystery, family-dynamics, family, friendship, suspense, medical-doctor, dogs, mild-humor, twisty*****

Great compelling characters, fascinating suspects, inventive red herrings and diabolical twists! And dogs! In a small town in the Cotswolds, there are a number of very interesting sixty-somethings who enjoy each other's company and come up with some really creative twists in the course of solving murders. Excellent read!
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Bookouture via NetGalley. Thank you!

Julia Bird, a divorcée and retired social worker has moved from London to a little cottage in Berrywick, Cotswalds. Julia’s friend Tabitha had moved to the village 15 years ago and Julia had enjoyed several weekend visits over the years making it the choice for her new beginning. Deciding to embrace life in the countryside Julia decided to put in a chicken run. Beyond the surprise of the method of contacting the village contractor is the shock of the discovery made underneath the old shed being replaced by a chicken coop. It leads Julia to more adventures than she thought possible for life in the country.

There are some characters that you know from the opening pages that you want to spend as much time with them as possible. Julia Bird is such a delight! She is a woman that would be interesting to meet in real life and lovely to have as a friend. I loved her rescue of a chocolate Labrador named Jake and the many different ways she makes friends in the village including becoming a sleuthing resource to DI Hayley Gibson.

The adventures for this senior sleuth fill her teacup with mystery, a dash of romance, and some hilarious kitchen activity. The village setting is charming, the characters diverse, and the dialogue natural while revealing the personality of each character including the rambunctious and loveable Jake. Although Julia is an amateur sleuth the character reminded me of Vera Stanhope created by author Ann Cleeves and the village is as charming as any viewed in Midsomer Murders. For all who love British cozy mysteries, it’s a definite recommendation from me for your tbr list. I can’t wait to read Book 2.

former-social-worker, Cotswolds, small-town, puppy, country-life, murder, murder-investigation, amateur-sleuth, law-enforcement

A good book for unwinding/destressing.
Julia was newly divorced, newly left her job as a social worker in London, moved to the Cotswolds village, and decided to raise a few chickens. The first body was skeletal and probably twenty years in the ground. To get to know more people in the village, she joined the book club. Next project was to adopt Jake the chocolate lab puppy who failed Guide Dog school because of his inquisitiveness. And that led to the second body. In the weeds. A recent murder. The story moves along at a steady pace, and you really get to know the characters (and they certainly are!). I really enjoyed this escape from hectic living.
I requested and received a free temporary e-book from Bookouture via NetGalley. Thank you!