Discover a new series of murder mysteries set in an idyllic English village. From million-selling author Faith Martin. Meet Monica Noble: the vicar’s wife with a taste for solving crimes.Please note this book was first published as “AN UNHOLY MESS” under Faith Martin’s pen name JOYCE CATO.IN A QUIET COTSWOLD VILLAGE ALL HELL IS ABOUT TO BREAK LOOSEMonica Noble is throwing a party to welcome the … LOOSE
Monica Noble is throwing a party to welcome the village’s new residents. The guests include Margaret and her cheating husband Sean. Also on the list are a celebrity chef, an Oxford university professor, a 40-something divorcee, and the owner of a chain of gyms.
Then as the drinks are flowing, a shotgun blast rings out. One of the guests is found dead.
DCI Dury and Sergeant Jim Greer are soon on the scene and discover that the victim had many enemies. Almost all the guests harbour secrets and motives for murder. Even Monica’s daughter comes under suspicion.
When another villager is strangled to death nearly a week later, the stakes are raised.
Can Monica help the local detectives save her daughter and solve the murders before anyone else pays the ultimate price?
This is the first of a series of enjoyable murder mysteries with great characters and baffling crimes which will keep you gripped till the final page.
Perfect for fans of classic whodunits by authors like Agatha Christie, LJ Ross, TE Kinsey, and J.R. Ellis.
MONICA NOBLE was widowed young, leaving her to raise her feisty daughter on her own. That is, until she met and fell in love with Graham Noble, a country vicar (pastor), who enticed her to leave her high-flying job in advertising in the city and move to the Cotswold countryside. There she found bucolic life very pleasant indeed — until murder started to rear its ugly head. And she discovered, to everyone’s surprise, that she had a flair for solving the most unholy of crimes.
What readers are saying about THE VICARAGE MURDER
“From the 1st page I was gripped.” Barbara
“A twisty jigsaw of a novel.” Sue
”Classic whodunit perfect for fans of Agatha Christie that will keep you guessing till the end.” Javier
“Very well done, Ms. Martin! More of Monica Noble, please.” Joyce
“A story that gripped me from the beginning.” Aileen
FAITH MARTIN is the best-selling author of the DETECTIVE HILLARY GREENE and JENNY STARLING mysteries, which have topped the global best-seller charts.
More MONICA NOBLE mysteries coming soon. Join the Joffe Books mailing list to be the first to hear about the next in the series.
JENNY STARLING MYSTERIES
Book 1: THE BIRTHDAY MYSTERY
Book 2: THE WINTER MYSTERY
Book 3: THE RIVERBOAT MYSTERY
Book 4: THE CASTLE MYSTERY
Book 5: THE OXFORD MYSTERY
Book 6: THE TEATIME MYSTERY
Book 7: THE COUNTRY INN MYSTERY
more
New series from Faith Martin to sink your teeth into.
I’ve read several by this author. This has been my favorite.
Monica Noble is the new wife of the Vicar. The vicarage has been recently converted to flats and all the residents were having a house warming in the garden. This was an ideal opportunity for a killer to strike. There are plenty of residents with shady pasts to be uncovered which gives any armchair detective plenty to peruse. It up to Monica and her husband to bring all the clues together in the end.
murder-investigation, law-enforcement, greed, blackmail, England, women-sleuths
Diabolical! It was very easy to figure out who the murder victim was going to be, but nearly every character had reason enough. Well, except for the vicar and the vicar’s wife. During a somewhat impromptu garden party on the grounds of the former vicarage turned apartment building the blast of a shotgun is heard, but the body is found in an apartment that is being painted and decorated pre sale. The only things more prevalent than suspects are the red herrings and plot twists! I read it on one hot day and loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Joffe Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
Please note this book was first published as “AN UNHOLY MESS” under Faith Martin’s pen name JOYCE CATO.
Monica Nobel is a newlywed, married just 6 months to her second husband, Graham, the vicar of this small quaint English village.
Having converted the vicarage into apartments, Monica decides to throw a getting-to-know-you party to have call the residents meet the others.
It’s an eclectic mass of people … Monica and Graham and her daughter Charlie, a celebrity chef and his wife who are not what anyone would call happily married, a retired university professor, a divorcee, a middle aged woman and her university aged daughter, and the owner of a chain of gyms.
As the food and drink is being consumed, a shot rings out. It seems to have come from the inside … but who’s missing?
DCI Jason Dury and DS Jim Greer are lead investigators. When they discover who was killed, it seems like almost everyone had a motive. All the guests harbor secrets that they don’t want exposed to the light of day.
And then another body turns up .. and Monica decides to do a little snooping of her own.
Monica takes the lead, as widowed and remarried to an older man, and the mother of a young teenage girl. Having left the bright lights to settle in this small village, she finds she enjoys the quiet life .. until there are two unexplained murders.
It’s well written with great characters and lots os suspects. The mystery itself is unpredictably brilliant. I have read two other series by this author and have never been disappointed. This one doesn’t disappoint either. Looking forward to reading the remaining books in this series.
Many thanks to the author / Joffe Books / Books n All Book Promotions / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, the opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.