2024 the best mystery books review

Price: $4.99
(as of Dec 11, 2024 06:58:09 UTC - Details)

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.

Readers love An English Garden Murder:

‘There just aren't enough stars for this one, so I can only give it FIVE!! I'm so looking forward to the next book in the series!!’ Goodreads reviewer⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I absolutely LOVED this… Julia Bird was an amazing and lovable character… Once I started it, I couldn't stop until I had finished it. I will definitely be on the lookout for the second novel in this series!’ Goodreads reviewer⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I loved this very English murder mystery, so reminiscent of Agatha Christie… I loved everything about this book.’ NetGalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Fabulous… addictive… a witty and delightful crime novel full of delicious red herrings, rural mischief and bucolic charm that is impossible to put down.’ Bookish Jottings

‘Oh my, I loved Julia Bird… she is a delight!. I can’t wait for the next one! Please don’t let it be long! It’s a five out of five on the enJOYment scale and highly recommended!’MoongloTexas ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Really entertaining… I simply couldn't put the book down… Julia's life in the countryside with her newly adopted dog Jake was too enjoyable… I cannot wait to read for Julia Bird's next adventure!… five stars!’ Tropical Girl Reads Books ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Brilliant!… I really warmed to Julia and especially Jake, her errant puppy and loved the village life…’ Broadbean’s Books⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I loved this first book in a new cozy, English countryside series and hope it continues for a very long run…’ NetGalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I really enjoyed this… heartwarming… always entertaining read.’ Jen Med's Book Reviews⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I loved this book! I am always thrilled to find a new cozy mystery/series to get stuck into and I thoroughly enjoyed this one…’ A Wordy Woman ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I'm pretty sure I want to be Julia Bird when I retire. Charming little cottage in a village in the Cotswolds in England? Check! Best friend who works as a librarian? Check! Time to finally learn how to bake and cook delicious food? Check! Insta-love with an adorable chocolate lab puppy? Check! Distinguished village Doctor who could be mistaken for Sean Connery?… I really enjoyed this brand-new cozy mystery.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09SQ8CD7J
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bookouture (May 5, 2022)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 5, 2022
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 4052 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 274 pages
Reviewer: Jackie Houchin
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A Totally Entertaining Murder Mystery - keep them coming!
Review: AN ENGLISH GARDEN MYSTERY, first of three books in the Julia Bird cozy mystery series is another irresistibly written book. I don’t know what exactly it is that endows a book with a pleasurable stickiness that refuses to let the reader go, no matter how late the hour or how many of those hours it has held on to them. But Katie Gayle (two authors, really) has a great jar of that substance liberally applied to this book. I began and then read late into the night, with cliff-hanger chapters, appealing characters, including a miscreant dog and a gentleman who’s the look-alike and sound-alike of a Sean Connery James Bond. And the bodies, whoa! I mean dead ones (ha-ha).When Julia Bird, a retired London social worker, moved to the small village of Berrywick, she thought life might become boring. Sure, the cottage was lovely, and the garden even more so. She could grow roses, make plum jam and scones, and…raise some hens. Of course, that is when and where the trouble began, because under the old shed which was set to be torn down to make room for the new chicken coop, was a… yep, a skeleton.Within seconds (it seemed) the entire village knew of the find and gossip spun around like a whirling dervish. Julia was the talk of the town, in a bad way, and the lone village policewoman seemed too overwhelmed to investigate the find. Ah-ha! An opportunity for Julia to stick her nose into village life (and death, because there are more of those that occur). And it seems there was not a shortage of viable suspects. Good heavens!It really is a jolly romp of a book, with the chocolate lab pup to add some sweetness and frustration. I LOVED this book! I promptly ordered the next two in the series for my Kindle. I dare say…YOU will too, once you read it. It’s a totally entertaining mystery book!

Reviewer: Lisa Fredine
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Very clever
Review: It's interesting how the story developed. The characters were engaging, well thought out. Story line was believable. Good intro into series.

Reviewer: Kathleen McManus
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Great read that keeps you guessing
Review: This was a fun read with likeable characters. The village is believable as is the main character, Julia and her sweet but naughty dog Jake.

Reviewer: Caroline|Page~Turners
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: WOW!!!! An amazing, amazing, amazing cozy mystery
Review: Julia Bird retires and relocates from London to Cotswold village. The beautiful town with its amazing English charm, is exactly the new beginning Julia needs in life. She loves working in her cozy cottage garden. When she decides to tear down an old shed to replace it with a chicken coop, she uncovers the body of a young woman. It’s evident that the remains have been buried there for decades. But in the small village, there is only one policeman assigned to the case. So, Julia decides she must find out the truth about what happened. As she uncovers clues and discovers that everyone in the village has something to hide, she thinks she knows who the killer is. But, while out on a hike with her Labrador, Jake, he finds the main suspect drowned in the local lake. Julia can’t stop now, she is bound and determined to find the killer before they kill again. This story was so adorable and I was completely hooked from the very beginning. Julia was a fabulous character, and I thoroughly enjoyed the role that Jake the Labrador played in helping Julia. I absolutely love Katie Gayle cozy mystery stories. They are among the absolute best. I absolutely loved this book, and I am so happy to know that it is the start of a new series. I truly enjoyed the detailed description of Cotswolds village, I could almost smell the flowers in the gardens. I positively loved this story and I hope you add this to the top of your to be read pile, definitely don’t pass up this one.Thank you Katie Gayle for such a wonderful whodunnit cozy mystery. I can’t wait to read the next installment in this series. I absolutely loved it and I highly recommend this book.

Reviewer: nhr
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Title: First in a series.
Review: It was very slow in the beginning, but picked up a bit towards the end. I liked the setting and some of the characters. I will try the next book to see how that one goes.

Reviewer: Jessica Adamson
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: cute book
Review: Very cute mystery that kept me guessing. Love the history and story of the main character and of course the bad dog.

Reviewer: Amazon Customer
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Gentle Cozy
Review: This was a perfect cozy read for me. The mystery was interesting--not overly simplistic, but not too complex for a light, fun reading session. I loved the cast of village characters, which is virtually a prerequisite for a good cozy British mystery. There were enough descriptive passages to get a nice sense of place but it never felt excessive or caused a loss of momentum for the plot. It was a no-brainer for me to immediately order the next book.Want to say one more important thing! It was so lovely that the character was rebuilding her life after her ex-husband moved on with a man (not a spoiler as this is revealed right away) but instead of portraying this as a betrayal and cause for resentment, the main character enjoyed a continued friendship with her ex and his new partner. How refreshing!

Reviewer: Bradley R. Keough
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Great British Murder Mystery
Review: It absolutely amazing, you will not be able to put the book down once you start!

Reviewer: Dean Johnson
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: I like the characters; they’re very real people. I like the surprises in the plot- not outlandish or unreal, but totally believable. I like that there are very few errors in grammar. In fact, I like this book and author, and intend to read more of this author’s work.

Reviewer: A. K.
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Nette Geschichte. Leicht erzählt, reisst einen nicht so wirklich mit.

Reviewer: Maria Concetta Distefano
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Funny and deep at the same time. Recommneded if you want to spend time in a peaceful state of mind enjoying the landscape of the gorgeous English country.

Reviewer: Amazon Customer
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Loved this book, such good characters. Some funny moments and great writing. Would recommend

Reviewer: MEGHNA
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Flow of story was good and suspense was well kept till the end, making it a good read for light thriller category.