Book Description:
Meet Julia Bird: recently single, reluctantly retired, and… an amateur sleuth?
Julia Bird has left London for a fresh start in a picturesque Cotswolds village, and the rustic charm and cosy fireplaces of her little cottage are everything she’d hoped for. But when she tears down the old garden shed to make way for a chicken coop, she unearths much more than she’d bargained for… the body of a young woman, apparently buried for decades, thrusting Julia into a baffling mystery.
With only one copper on the case in Berrywick, Julia decides to solve the who and whodunnit herself, taking her wayward puppy Jake along for the ride. And so begins a whirlwind tour of the village – from the dotty 90-year-old to the delightful doctor and the village gardener, it seems everyone has something to hide.
Soon, Julia is convinced she has discovered the killer’s identity, until Jake, a true Labrador, finds a new love of the local lake’s waterfowl and instead ends up catching her chief suspect… drowned. Back at square one, with potential culprits galore, Julia – newly nicknamed the Grim Reaper – despairs at ever solving the murders.
But as Julia ruffles feathers village-wide, the clock is ticking. There is someone in the village who has killed twice already. Will they be prepared to make it third time lucky to keep their secret safe?
This totally addictive page-turning cozy mystery is perfect for fans of M.C. Beaton, Faith Martin and Betty Rowlands.
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'An English Garden Murder' by Katie Gayle.
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Katie Gayle, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous
Publication date 5th May 2022.
This is the first book I have read by this author. It is also the first book in the 'Julia Bird Mysteries' series.
I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching beautiful cover and intriguing sounding synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that 'This totally addictive page-turning cozy mystery is perfect for fans of M.C. Beaton, Faith Martin and Betty Rowlands.' I am a huge fan of M.C Beaton and Faith Martin so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists of 40 chapters. The chapters are medium to long in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in the Cotswolds, England 🏴 , UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture. I have actually visited the Cotswolds on many occasions and find it to be an absolutely gorgeous place so am looking forward to seeing if I recognise any of the gorgeous settings.
This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonists is Julia Bird. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.
This book is extremely well written with vivid descriptions that leave you hearing the chickens clucking and Jake barking. The cover and synopsis suit the book perfectly.
Such an easy, fun cosy mystery that had me hook, line and sinker!!!
I absolutely loved reading this book which took place in such a stunning environment I felt like I had disappeared on holiday for the day. It was a shame it was only a day but that's how long it took me to zoom through the pages after not being able to put it down. I genuinely felt like I was in the storyline and I was devastated to come to the end and have to "unpack my suitcase". The storyline is multilayered with mystery upon mystery to keep the reader completely absorbed throughout without a moment to get bored. It was filled with murder, animals, mayhem, mystery, tension, twists, friendship, books and absolutely everything you could ever ask for in a cosy mystery. The fact that it was filled with animals, chickens and one Jake to be precise and included a book club was right down my street being a huge book and animal lover myself. This was the perfect start to what is promising to be an addictive series and I am glad I've seen it from the start!!! I was not expecting the killer twist so a huge congratulations there!!! I have read so many books it seems to be getting harder and harder to shock me but you definitely managed it after leading me down the garden path several times!!
Do not pick this up until you have cleared your schedules as you will not be able to put it down!!
It is always worrying when starting a new series as you have no idea who the characters are. It is very important for me to bond with not only the lead protagonists but I find it important that I like the characters surrounding them too.
I am pleased to report I had absolutely nothing to worry about and absolutely LOVED meeting Julia, Jake and everyone else who made this cosy mystery perfect the way it was. I became completely invested in each of the characters and Katie and Gail portray village life and characters perfectly. I really clicked with Julia immediately who was a perfect choice for this cosy mystery. I am looking forward to meeting her again in the next book in this fantastic series and seeing how her friendship and relationships with the other characters develop especially with the naughty but lovable Jake (definitely my favourite!!), the very handsome Sean 007 and the book leader Tabitha. Other characters who definitely left an impression on me include Hayley, Johnny, Pippa and Flo and I'm looking forward to seeing what they all get up to in the not so distant future!!!
Congratulations Kate and Gail on an absolutely addictive first book in what promises to be an addictive series!!! Here's to a fantastic and many more successes 🥂
Overall an addictive cosy mystery set in a stunning area that you won't be able to put down!!
Genres covered in this book include Cozy Crafts and Hobbies Mystery, Humorous Dark Comedy, Cozy Animal Mystery, Thriller, Cozy Mystery and Mystery amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of M.C. Beaton, Faith Martin, Claire Chase, Verity Bright, Betty Rowlands and anyone who loves an addictive cosy mystery!!!
262 pages.
This book is just 99p to purchase on kindle via Amazon or free on kindle unlimited (at time of review) which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
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@KatieGayle @Bookouture @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86 @KatieGayleBooks @katesidley @gailschimmel
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.
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Buy Link:
Amazon: https://geni.us/B09SQ8CD7Jsocial
Audio Links:
Listen to a sample here:
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