Kate Palmer is more than ready for the quiet life in Lower Tinworthy, Cornwall. But within weeks of her arrival, a woman is found dead in the village hall, stabbed to death with her own kitchen knife… The victim is Fenella Barker Jones: chairwoman of the Women’s Institute, doyenne of the amateur dramatic society, and reigning champion of the WI cake-baking contest. But whilst she may have been at … whilst she may have been at the centre of village life, there were plenty who had reason to dislike her – as Kate is about to find out.
As a practice nurse and one of the first on the scene, Kate can’t help but get drawn into the investigation. Her patients are only too eager to tell her about the victim’s extra-curricular activities and, the more Kate hears about Fenella, the more the list of suspects grows: it seems half the village wanted her dead.
Kate’s sister Angie tells her to leave it alone, but Kate can’t resist piecing together the clues. Especially not if brings her closer to the handsome Detective Inspector ‘Woody’ Forrest, who is near to retiring himself and determined to crack his last case.
But when someone breaks into Kate’s home and leaves a warning note on her pillow, it becomes clear the murderer is prepared to do anything to keep their identity hidden… Will Kate and Woody work out who’s responsible, before she becomes the next victim?
If you love murder mysteries by Agatha Christie, Faith Martin or Joy Ellis, then this page-turning novel will have you reading late into the night!
Readers are loving A Body in the Village Hall:
‘I found myself racing through this one, eager to find out who did what – and to who! A terrific read… a full house of sparkling stars.’ Grace J Reviewer Lady, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Charming, well written, with excellent characters and an intriguing plot, I adored my visit to this charming Cornish village! What a perfect read with some tea… I gobbled it up in a day and evening!!’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Kept me involved till the end, turning pages as fast as I could… a great cast of characters and a lovely setting… The mystery is solid, full of twists and turns, and kept me guessing… an excellent and fun read that I strongly recommend.’ Scrapping and Playing, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Full of superb village characters… LOL humour and a good storyline, this book had me ‘there and part of it’ right from page 1 and I loved every word, just the right book for unsettled times when you can relax and be drawn into pure escapism.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘I loved the characters… Kate was a standout and makes for a perfect lead… I was so caught up and entranced in the story that I was disappointed when it came to the end. Dee definitely had me under her spell and glued to the pages.’ Once Upon a Time Book Blog
‘This delightful book is a joy to read… I loved all the descriptions of village life… I can’t wait for Dee MacDonald’s next Kate Palmer mystery.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘An ideal setting, a cozy village in Cornwall, and an incredibly likable heroine in Kate and a classic whodunnit mystery… the perfect weekend or vacation read.’ eBook nerd reviews, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Lots of sleuthing, suspects, great characters, misdirections, red herrings… LOVED it!’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘A brilliantly written cosy mystery sure to have readers gripped… will delight fans of Faith Martin and Ann Granger as they find themselves completely glued to the page.’ Bookish Jottings
‘Just what the doctor ordered!… it was a real treat to read this sweet, charming and cosy book… reminded me a bit of all the Agatha Christie books.’ Goodreads Reviewer
‘A really well written ‘cosy’ mystery with some great characters and a setting that makes you want to visit… loved this.’ THE Book Club, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐more
A Body in the Village Hall by Dee MacDonald, the first in Kate Palmer series, is a book you can be sure you will be hearing more about. It features … Kate Palmer, a 60ish nurse living on the Cornish coast with her sister, an alcoholic artist, who has never quite grown up. She is at a talk about growing vegetables with her sister, hoping her sister would become interested and productive, something she is not at the moment. All of a sudden she is being called to the kitchen where she sees one of the ladies who had been prepping the snack, with a knife in her chest, obviously dead. Well, at least the lecture was not putting her to sleep any longer.
This is an endearing book about, among other things, a dysfunctional older woman (Angie, Kate’s sister); a small town where everyone is in everyone’s business, sometimes successfully, sometimes not: and a murder on the loose. Kate is a sensible, friendly, interested character who is determined to make a new life for herself in this small town in Cornwall, despite the obvious issues. Her sister, Angie, is a mess but pretty entertaining, and the police detective, Woody, is the ideal partner-in-crime for Kate. The mystery was a good one and the reader figured it out right along with Kate. I see a fabulous future for this fledgling series. I recommend it!
I was invited to read an ARC of A Body In the Village Hall by Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #abodyinthevillagehall
Cozy Murder Mystery in a small English Village
I loved this book and this author. Her style of writing reminds me of Betty Rowland’s. The basic layout of a village murder, nosy sleuth, and dishy cop is always a good one. What makes this special is how intricate the mystery is. I thought that I had the mystery figured out, but I was so wrong! There are several sub-plots that really tweak the heartstrings, too. All in all, a great book. I can’t wait for more of the series. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.
Kate Palmer has relocated to Cornwall for a quiet life. Moving into picturesque Lavender Cottage with her sister Angie, the little village of Lower Tinworthy should be the perfect place for their fresh new start. But within weeks of their arrival, there’s a death in the close-knit community. A woman is found stabbed to dead in the village hall, with her own kitchen knife. Kate, a practice nurse at the local medical centre, begins to piece together the clues. Fenella was at the centre of village activity, and there seem to be plenty of people who had reason to dislike her. As Kate gets drawn into life in Lower Tinworthy, she begins a close friendship with Detective Inspector ‘Woody’ Forrest, who is near to retiring – and determined to crack his last case. Together, they set about solving the mysterious crime. But when someone breaks into Kate’s home and leaves a warning note on her pillow, it becomes clear the murderer is prepared to do anything to keep their identity hidden
This is the first in a new series & the first book I’ve read by the author & it certainly won’t be the last. A well written cosy mystery with plenty of red herrings & twists & turns to hold my interest all the way through. I also didn’t guess the murderer until they were revealed. Strong believable characters added to my enjoyment as did the burgeoning relationship between Kate & Woody. I hope that there are further books in the series with the pair of amateur sleuths.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for a digital advance reader’s copy. All comments and opinions are my own. I was expecting more from this first book in the series, and have to say I was disappointed – especially because the book didn’t live up to its subtitle: “an utterly gripping cozy murder mystery.” Nurse Kate Palmer and her alcoholic sister Angie move from London to a small village and promptly discover a body (in the village hall). Then Kate comes upon murdered person number two and feels compelled to find the murderer(s), even though the local police are doing a fine job and warn her repeatedly to stay away as she’s putting herself in danger. Of course she doesn’t listen, even when the “fanciful” detective in charge who has a crush on her tells her to leave it alone as she doesn’t know what she’s doing. She repeatedly puts herself in danger by interviewing several suspicious suspects, even telling them she suspects them. She constantly walks her dog alone at dusk or in the fog on deserted rocky cliffs or near the empty beach. I lost patience with her when time after time she said, “I guess I shouldn’t be doing this,” “I guess I should have told someone where I was going,” or “this probably isn’t safe.” And she should have been more sensible than to think she was capable of solving the murders when her only detecting skill is she watches the BBC murder mystery shows and people like to tell her things. It’s fun to read about a murder in a small town, with lots of quirky characters and suspects, but this cozy was a disappointment.
A BODY IN THE VILLAGE HALL by Dee MacDonald is the first book in a new cozy mystery series featuring Kate Palmer as the main character and set in Cornwall, England. Kate Palmer and her older sister Angie have relocated to Cornwall for a quieter life. Kate is working part-time as a practice nurse at the local medical center and is trying to draw herself and Angie into the local village events. While attending a talk at the Women’s Institute, a woman is found dead in village hall. Kate decides to try to identify the killer. Meanwhile, Detective Inspector “Woody” Forrest wants to solve this case and retire.
Both Kate and Woody are likeable characters with clear goals and believable motivations. The author does a great job of working the description of the village and the surrounding area into the story without detracting from the flow. The stakes were high and there was some tension as well as some romance. There are plenty of suspects for Kate to use her amateur sleuthing skills on but not many twists and turns. Besides murder, themes include alcoholism, infidelity, family dramas and much more.
Overall, this was a charming, easy-to-read, and fun story with older main characters. It had a satisfying resolution and was exactly what I was in the mood to read. This is the first book that I have read by this author and I am looking forward to reading the next one in the series. If you enjoy pleasant cozy mysteries with likeable main characters, a bit of romance, and a large number of suspects, then you may enjoy this book as much as I did.
Many thanks to Bookouture and Dee MacDonald for a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
small-town, cornwall, law-enforcement, murder, murder-investigation, dogs, cosy-mystery
Kate and her sister (think: needs AA) move away from London to beautiful Cornwall and a lovely cottage (think fixer upper with bad floors and no central heat). Kate needs more money to keep things going so she takes a job as part time nurse in the local health clinic. While at a Women’s Institute meeting (hoping to socialize sister away from the pub) Kate hears a scream and comes upon a recently sliced body in the kitchen. Then comes the CID man. But that’s not the last body Kate finds. Lots of sleuthing, suspects, great characters, misdirections, red herrings, and more. LOVED it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Bookouture via NetGalley. Thank you!