MoonglotexasKa’s Review:
It’s a cliche but it’s true nonetheless. It was a book, “I didn’t want to put down”. I enjoyed all of it. Well Done Katie Gayle.
The protagonist is so likeable. Despite a significant change in circumstances she chooses to remain positive and engaged with all. Her being a little older, and a retired social worker gives her the right credentials to engage with so many different kinds of people (including the police) and get them to confide in her.
As you journey along with her, you are introduced to the many villagers along with their tendency to gossip, rumour monger and hold grudges! As the story progresses, it’s clear that the murders; old and new will be related, but just how took me a little longer to work out. I didn’t work it all out but was chuffed with just how far I got!
Then there’s the labrador. Oh my word, he’s so unbelievably cute and cheeky. Thank goodness Julia determines that he is just the companion she needs. If you’ve had one (and I have) you’ll know exactly what I mean.
I love the quirkiness of this team (Kate and Gayle) and how they refer to the other series they’ve authored, which is so different to this one, but equally enjoyable and highly recommended.
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!!
Kel’s Review:
Oh my, I loved Julia Bird from the first page of Katie Gayle’s “An English Garden Murder”, she is a delight! She has relocated to start a new chapter of her life, single and retired. Creating an outdoor space tailored to her, Julia finds a body! It’s a cold case and not the focus for the local police force so Julia finds her social worker senses tingling! With nothing else on her schedule, she starts exploring the village and the mystery on her own!
On her travels around the village she keeps meeting the most adorable Labrador. Having had one of these as a child, I commend Katie Gayle on capturing so beautifully the joy, frustration and hilarity that ensues when one is in the family. (Spoiler alert for dog lovers: Jake is fine throughout the book!).
I loved the mystery, a good rambling, twisty one, but I always look forward to the giggles and shenanigans that Katie Gayle allow their characters to get up to, the village is full of interesting people. Well thought out and beautifully written, 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!
We received complimentary copies of the book from Bookouture through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in these reviews are completely our own.
From the back cover:
Julia Bird’s picturesque Cotswolds cottage has everything she could want. Rustic charm, cosy fireplaces and, it turns out, a dead body in the garden…
Recently divorced and reluctantly retired, Julia Bird has fled London to enjoy idyllic rural life in the Cotswolds. Determined to have the perfect English garden, her first job is to tear down the old shed, where she unearths much more than she’d bargained for… A body, apparently buried for decades. But who could it be, and who killed them? The police draw a blank, and even the gossip-fest that is the local bookclub can’t remember anyone going missing in the village.
Unable to get on with her garden until the mystery is resolved, Julia decides to conduct her own clandestine investigations. So, together with her wayward chocolate Labrador puppy Jake, Julia begins a whirlwind tour of the local residents. And everyone, it seems, has something to hide in this village. As she gets closer to the truth, Julia uncovers something even more shocking… Another body, this time of someone she actually knows.
Determined to unmask the killer and find out what connects the two dead bodies, Julia – newly nicknamed the Grim Reaper – ups the stakes and hones in on the most likely suspect. But if she hasn’t deduced correctly, then there is someone else 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.
