Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the eARC of this book I received in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This one was not good. I wish there was a more eloquent way to open this, but I have been trying for over a year to read this book and I can't. Everything about it makes it impossible for me to push myself through it: the writing is cardboard and dull, the book reads in a stiff cliched manner. There is nothing cool or interesting that this brings to the table and there are enough really well-written cozy read type mysteries out there that I am not going to push myself with this one any longer.

Nicely crafted murder mystery featuring, chef and sometime amateur sleuth, Ben Hunter and following on from 'A Taste of Death '. Falling into the cosy genre, it's a satisfying read with some credible characterisation and a well placed plot. Most enjoyable.

This was a good read, enough going on to keep you guessing, but an easy holiday read and quite enjoyable

This book pulled me in, from its first page. For better part of the story, I was kept moving along in the cosy mystery style - lots of fun descriptions about food, some British humour and an unpredictable plotline. It started to lose momentum about 60% way through the book though. The light hand of humour seem to vanish, food descriptions became non-existant and the plot plodded along in a slightly formulaic fashion (allow protagonist one-on-one time with a character, have something horrible happen to them, run around confused, repeat). Around this point, the book also seemed to jump genres from a comfortable, happy cosy mystery to a more gruesome, 'grotty' feel. There were suddenly extended descriptions of violent altercations, what felt like an utterly unnecessary subplot and a couple of deus ex machina characters. That said, the book pulled itself together in the last 10% and served up a nice unexpected ending, reasonably close to what I'd expect of a cosy mystery. Overall, a pretty nice holiday read.

As much as I wanted to love this book I couldn't get into the story or character especially the main character Ben, he is just too stubborn and stuck into his ways for me to enjoy his character. Needless to say, after months of picking the book up for a hours I would put it back down all to leave it for weeks and forget about it so it would be weeks before I wanted to pick it back up to read it. I read half of the book and just couldn't pick it up again. I hated that because I really wanted to love it.

This was my first H.V. Coombs book and I enjoyed it very much. It was a bit different from other cozies as it had some unexpected twists - which were fun. The setting was picturesque and I enjoyed being taken to the English countryside. Ben is the chef at The Old Forge Cafe and is asked by celebrity chef Justin McLeish to help out at his temporary restaurant. Murder ensues and Ben stops at nothing to find the killer. This was a fun read and I recommend it highly.

I tend to prefer cozies that take place here in the US of A and have a female main character. I do not always appreciate the English sense of humor so I don't usually choose such books to read. I could not say no to a book about a cook though. I'm imagining Julia Childs meets Mr. Clean with a little zen in the mix when picturing Chef Ben Hunter. Great story line and wonderful characters in the little town of Hampden Green and the cooking tidbits are wonderful. Can't wait to read the next story to see what is new at the Old Forge Café.

This was an unexpected cozy English mystery; instead of a female sleuth, the main character is a former prison inmate turned chef. I really enjoyed it. The plot kept me interested and the characters were different than what you usually get.

Ben is a chef who is hired by a celebrity chef named Justin to investigate who is blackmailing him The initial culprit is suspiciously easy to identify, but the reason for the blackmail that Justin gave Ben doesn't seem right. What Ben finds out is a shock to everyone involved.

I recommend this book and this author. Thanks to Avon Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ben Hunter is professional cook, but his restaurant is in big debt. There isn’t much money in the quiet village of Hampden Green. But there is a local opera festival and Ben hopes to earn some money preparing the meals for the guests there. Until he finds out that a celebrity chef has been hired to do the cooking, instead of him. The famous Justin McCleish.

And Justin McCleish needs help. In the kitchen. At least that’s what Ben thinks when Justin calls him. It turns out that Justin has been blackmailed and he needs Ben’s detective skills. But, very soon, the blackmail turns into murder!

Now Ben has a murder to solve!

Oh, I had a great time reading this book. There was a mystery, a murder, Italian food, funny moments, laughter. I must confess, it made me hungry several times. And after finishing a hard-boiled thriller previously, it was a nice treat. Through laughter and mystery, the story touches some serious issues. Must say, well combined. I also liked Ben and Jess as characters. Jess pops in where Ben struggles. A perfect duo.

Murder on the Green is a cozy mystery. An easy read, perfect for the reading on the beach or by the pool. Ideal for those who love cooking, and eating of course. It is a perfect read for fans of vegetarian lasagna and tiramisu. And for all the other mystery fans.

I discovered HV Coombs earlier on this year and devoured this in a fabulous weekend. Superbly and enjoyably written easy crime book it kept me guessing till the end and was a sheer pleasure to read.

Reading Murder on the Green reminded me of all I love about Midsummer Murders. It is a great cosy crime novel, set in an idyllic setting, with a believable cast of characters all bought together for a big event, in this case, an opera festival, and in an location that I would love to visit for a weekend away (without all the added drama of a blackmail and murder).

There are also a number of additional issues which sneak into the book, one being the difficult subject of anger issues and the subsequent management of these. There are also drug and alcohol addiction which all add to the impact.

I found the book slow to get going at first, however I was soon engrossed and really enjoyed the story. The ending was unexpected and has left me wanting to read more from H V Coombs in the future.

I received an e-copy of this book from the publishers and Net Galley in return for an honest review.

I was attracted to Murder on the Green by the tag line - Midsomer Murders meets The Great British Bake Off.  It wasn’t that accurate. It’s a little more of a Pie in the Sky. Ben Hunter has little time for anything other than cooking and managing at his restaurant, The Old Forge Cafe.  So it’s a bit of a surprise when celebrity chef Justin McLeish and his wife show up for dinner with a business proposition. Justin McLeish is catering the local opera festival, and someone is blackmailing him.  Ben Hunter’s notoriety as an amateur detective and his past assault charge have convinced McLeish’s manager that Ben is the perfect man to investigate. Ben will work with Justin’s staff, and Justin will provide a chef to cover at Ben’s restaurant as well as payment for finding the blackmailer.  Finding the blackmailer seems straightforward enough - until the suspect turns up dead and a new blackmail request arrives. As the bodies drop and the situation becomes more complicated, Ben realizes there is more going on than simple blackmail.


It’s easy to like Ben.  He’s “human” far from perfect, but hard working and always trying to improve himself - and he has a sense of humor about it.  He has friends across the spectrum, and that comes in handy - particularly when he gets in over his head. H V Coombs provides an interesting insight into the stressful, fast paced world of professional cooking and the varied egos and personalities.  The novel is enjoyable as much for that as the mystery.


4 / 5


I received a copy of Murder on the Green from the publisher and NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.


— Crittermom

Murder on the Green is an entertaining read, full of humour and mystery, but also deals with more serious subjects such as anger management and blackmail.

It had quite a slow and steady start and I wasn't sure at first whether I liked Ben or not, though once it got going I really enjoyed the story and of how Ben was trying to positively change his life.

My only criticism would be with the cast of characters, there were way too many and too many that I wasn't interested in.

With several surprises and twists, this turned out to be a complex mystery with many funny moments, not to mention all the delicious food!

An entertaining cozy mystery. Well-written; lively characters; and the plot had some crazy twists and turns. It was fun reading a book set in the “foodie/chef” world. Not my usual genre, but was glad Inhas an opportunity to read this one.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher p. All opinions are my own.

4☆ A Scrumptious murder mystery.

Murder on the Green is a scrumptious murder mystery. That has blackmail, danger and murder and yummy food.

Ben is a successful chef at The Old Forge Café and when a celebrity chef Justin arrives on the scene he persuades Ben to help him with his business.
But is that all he needs help with??

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this cosy mystery. It was humorous, intriguing, gripping and made my tummy rumble.
It's not the fastest paced book but I enjoyed the pace as I was able to process what was going on.

I highly recommend this fab crime mystery but be warned it might just make your tummy rumble!

Thank you to Avon books for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

This is a really fun cosy crime story and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

I read a lot of crime fiction and every now and then I have an urge to read something a bit more sedate without full on the guts and gore and this book ticked all the boxes for me. It was a brilliant way to pass a few hours in the sunshine.

It is well written, has a solid plot line and some fantastic characters - along with a fabulous setting!

Four stars from me for this one - highly recommended!!

Cosy mystery fans who like their murders spiced with plenty of bite, edge and guts are simply going to love H.V. Coombs and his terrific series featuring reluctant sleuth and chef Ben Hunter. Captivating, compelling and far too good to miss, the second installment in the series, Murder on the Green, is a fantastic read I found absolutely impossible to put down.

Running a restaurant with limited resources, next to no money and staff who leave a lot to be desired is no walk in the park and nobody knows this than Ben Hunter, who runs The Old Forge Cafe. Working eighteen hour days and cooking against the clock does not leave Ben with much of a life and although he is up against it on a daily basis, he still cannot help but feel jealous and a bit resentful when the local aristocrat hires celebrity chef Justin McCleish to cater for an opera festival that is one of Hampden Green’s biggest social events. Deep down, Ben knows that running his restaurant single-handedly and catering for such a massive event would be absolutely impossible, but he cannot help but feel slighted to have been disregarded so unceremoniously. But little does Ben realise that he is about to get mixed up with Justin McCleish and the staff at his new pop-up restaurant in ways he had never previously imagined…

Charismatic, handsome and one of the country’s favourite chefs, Justin McCleish is a man who seemed to have risen to the top of his profession effortlessly. When he comes to The Old Forge Cafe with his glamorous Italian wife, Aurora, Ben is overwhelmed and he is tickled pink when the celebrity chef tells him that he loves his food and that he wants him to work for him. Ben is absolutely thrilled that he has been entrusted in the kitchen of one of the country’s most celebrated chefs. However, there is a catch: Justin is being blackmailed and he wants Ben to uncover the identity of this malicious perpetrator who is jeopardizing Justin’s livelihood and his entire future! Will Ben manage to get to the bottom of this mystery?

Having been made an offer by Justin he simply could not refuse, Ben finds himself having to leave the hustle and bustle of his kitchen in the countryside behind for the seamy and dingy alleys of Soho. Ben thinks that he has found the person behind the extortion plot, however, things soon go awry when a dead body turns up! Ben is up to his eyeballs in this mess and he is determined to find the killer as quickly and as expediently as possible – before more corpses turn up!

Has Ben bitten off more than he could chew? Will he catch the killer in time? Or will he end up paying the ultimate prize for getting mixed in this tangled web of extortion, blackmail and murder?

A fabulously entertaining, engrossing and enjoyable mystery that packs plenty of punch, Murder on the Green is a terrific crime novel I started at 9 pm and was still engrossed in at two in the morning! H.V. Coombs is a wonderful writer who has written a fantastic cosy mystery which, however, does not shy away from the seamier aspects of crime. Packed with red herrings, shocking twists and turns and edge of your seat suspense, Murder on the Green is a deliciously readable tale that expertly blends crime, cookery and celebrity scandal in a beguiling read readers will simply not be able to stop reading!

H.V. Coombs has brought the cosy crime novel kicking and screaming into the 21st century and I cannot wait to see what Ben Hunter gets up to next!

What's the perfect read on a scorching Summer's day? A quintessential English murder mystery with tempting food.

'Murder on the Green' has Ben a chef and reluctant sleuth who's a likeable character with a chequered past revealed in a previous story. I haven't read the first book in the series, but there's enough backstory on Ben and the village inhabitants to make this easy to follow and enjoyable.

Ben's cafe although busy is struggling financially, he works all hours, and the rewards are scant. When celebrity chef Justin McCleish is hired to do the catering at the Opera festival, Ben is surprised to be asked to help out by the chef who he doesn't know. Blackmail rather than cooking is the reason Justin wants Ben, but he's soon chasing a murderer.

Described as Midsomer Murders meets The Great British Bake Off - it fell a bit short on both but was still entertaining in the mystery category. In my opinion it had a few too many characters and didn't really stand alone as a mystery alluding to activities and character connections from a previous book. I think I would have enjoyed it more had I read the first book in this series.

A very well written cozy mystery. I liked the idea of a mystery set in the world of star chef.
The book is well written, fun to read. Even it's a bit slow at beginning when it starts going is full of action and very entertaining.
I loved the cast of characters and i loved the British country settings.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Avon Books UK and Netgalley for this ARC