Welcome to the beautiful English village of Inkbury. Tucked deep in the North Wessex Downs, its only claim to fame is the picturesque riverside that once appeared in a Richard Curtis movie. That is, until the murder…
Former stand-up comic Juno Mulligan has been suffering a serious sense-of-humour failure. Not only has she lost the love of her life, but she’s having to relocate to the (admittedly idyllic) village of Inkbury to watch out for her elderly mother, who she’s genuinely worried might be marrying a wife-killer.
She hopes that her old friend, disgraced-journalist-turned-novelist Phoebe Fredericks can help her crack the case of whether her mother’s perma-tanned, iceberg-smiled, three-times-a-widower fiancé is hiding a murderous past.
But before they have a chance, the local art dealer washes up distinctly dead in the village’s famous river. His lover is in the frame, but Juno and Phoebe suspect that there is a deeper secret… One that relates to Phoebe’s own past and Juno’s present.
Will the unofficial Village Detective Agency solve the mystery before the killer strikes again? In sleepy Inkbury, as they soon discover, living one’s best midlife can be murder.
Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/TheArtofMurdersocial
My Review:
I think that most of cozy mystery starts with the introduction of the characters and the setting. This can make the novel a bit slower and you get to know new characters.
This novel starts introducing us to Phoebe and Juno: both are woman who are facing changes in their life and career. Phoebe is writing mysteries and thriller; Juno is trying to understand.
We also get to know the setting and I think that the author did an excellent job in explaining how the average person will never be able to buy a house in a romantic English village.
A slow burning start, a bit melancholic and with some moments that are full of promises.
Something happens and our ladies starts investigating.
It’s not always easy to write a good cozy even if you are a seasoned writer like Fiona Walker. She succeeded and delivers an entertaining and solid mystery that surprised me and kept me guessing.
I can’t wait to read another story in this series and I liked both the ladies and the storytelling.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the Boldwood Books and Rachel’s Random Resources for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Fiona Walker is the million copy bestselling author of joyously funny romantic comedies. Most recently published by Head of Zeus, she will be turning to cozy crime for Boldwood. The first in her new Village Detectives series, The Art of Murder, will be published in May 2024.
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