The first book in the Waterfell Tweed Cozy Mystery series!Not every hero wants to be one.Sandy Shaw enjoys a quiet life. She’s happy running her bookshop in the quaint village of Waterfell Tweed. But things aren’t as cozy as they seem. When village eccentric Reginald Halfman is murdered – just hours after announcing his plans to open a competing bookshop – Sandy is the prime suspect. Can she … plans to open a competing bookshop – Sandy is the prime suspect.
Can she solve the case?
And clear her name?
Before it’s too late?
Once Upon a Crime is a novella of around 35,000 words. Light and cozy, the book introduces our female amateur sleuth, the village of Waterfell Tweed, and a whole host of quirky characters! Each book in this series can be read as a standalone (but is better enjoyed if read in order), and is free from swearing, sex, violence and cliffhangers.
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Small town, gossip, murder, humorous characters, and baked goodies. What more could you want??
Light-hearted, fun, suspenseful, surprising!
Sandy owns a bookstore slash café in a small village where everyone knows each other. She’s really good at baking, but her passion is books. And then a murder… When she becomes a serious suspect, she decides to investigate herself. But can she do it? Can she solve the case and prove who the killer is? Most of the villagers have a secret or two… anyone could be the killer! A terrible thought.
Light-hearted and fun. The writing was just a tad juvenile in the beginning, and the phrasing a bit simple, but I got used to it or it got better. It got very suspenseful and the outcome was surprising! Very pleasant to read. With a good plot and a good pace. And a lot about village life. Charming! I thoroughly enjoyed it and I can’t wait to go back to Waterfell Tweed!
“Once Upon a Crime” earns 5/5 Suspect Lists…Clever and Entertaining!
I am a big fan of cozies set in England; add a bookshop with a bakery, quiet and capable young woman, quirky residents of a small village, and murder, then I am in! Sandy Shaw is a delightful figure who finds herself a person of interest when a dead body is found. Reginald Halfman is dead, and because he planned to open a competing bookshop, Sandy, of course, is at the top of the list of suspects. So, she better add amateur sleuth to her list of accomplishments or this life’s chapter is closed for good. Clever, engaging mystery enfolds as Sandy checks off her list a whole town of suspects. This first book is a marvelous start to Mona Marple’s Waterfell Tweed series making me an eager fan. Although I am more a fan of the “I” perspective, Mona made an engaging third-person narrative that did well explaining Sandy’s inner thoughts and perspective and including an entertaining sense of humor, realistic investigative techniques, and a satisfying ending. The well-developed characters surrounding an admirable main character make for engaging banter that kept me turning the pages. Easy reading! And a bonus! At the end of the book you have a chance to receive “The Prison Diaries” by…well, I can’t tell you. The killer in “Once Upon a Crime” has their own story to tell. I loved it, too!
A nice little cozy, looking forward to the rest in the series!
This book is well written, although some of the words are interesting and hard to understand. The characters are well developed, and the plot was fantastic. I would recommend this book!
“If she wanted to solve the crimes, her first step had to be information gathering – and her very own cafe was the best place to do that.”
A great lead-in to what will be a fun series to follow. And the best part is that, for a while at least, I won’t have to wait for the next book. I love finding a new-to-me series with a few volumes to binge read!
Marple has created a wonderful community that quickly draws you in to make the inhabitants your friends. You will love these two sisters and enjoy their antics as they solve the mysteries in their lively community! An entertaining read.
I listened to this book on Audible. I recommend it for those who enjoy British cozy mysteries. The author paints a detailed picture of the setting. You can easily picture every scene as you listen. The narrator is excellent. She has a soothing voice and uses different voices for the characters. Listening to her reminded me very much of listening to story time at the library. I ended up listening to the entire book in one day. I was so caught up in the story I didn’t try solving it. I was enjoying listening while running it as a movie in my mind.
* I received this book as an ARC.*
This is a great cozy mystery. Light , easy to read , enjoyable. Something I want to read when I want to relax and chill. (yes mysteries do it for me)
Not sure if this is the first in this series but plan to keep on reading and if so catch up on the back ones. This book does standalone, so try it.
I did enjoy this book. I really like Sandy and her sister Coral. Sandy owns the Books and Bakes store in the small town of Waterfell Tweed. The book is a quick read. Sandy finds herself in a pickle and has to clear her good name. It was fun to meet everyone in this small town. I feel bad that it always seems to be cold and rainy, hopefully it’s not always like that weather wise. I would read more in this series to see what is up with Sandy and the town.
Really enjoyed this story. Love the characters, they are a great bunch. The town scenes make you want to visit. The author really made the story realistic and fun. The main character, Sandy looks like she is going on to many more adventures, at least I hope so. Looking forward to reading more books in this series.
This book is located in this small town, Waterfell Tweed, in England. Based in a combination cafe/used book store owned by Sandy. It’s a gossipy little town so any thing travels fast. There is a rumor that the shop across the street is being sold and being turned into a cafe/book store. But that can’t be as it’s Sandy’s best friend that owns the shop across the street and she would have told her, she tells her everything. Once Upon a Crime is a fun read with a murder to solve. Looking forward to Book Two.