This is the second book in the series, however, it is the first book I've read by this author. I didn't feel lost by jumping in at this book. However, I'm sure it would be best to start with the first one. I enjoyed the characters and the fact that there was more going on than just the mystery to be solved (actually there were 2 main mysteries). I am looking forward to seeing what happens with the main characters, Samson and Delilah.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review. - I'm looking forward to the next one in the series.

"The second book in a delightful new English village mystery series set in the Yorkshire Dales.

When a pensioner turns up at the Dales Detective Agency and tells Samson O’Brien that someone in her old people’s home is trying to kill her, he dismisses her fears as the ramblings of a confused elderly lady. But after several disturbing incidents at Fellside Court, he begins to wonder if perhaps there is something malicious at the heart of the retirement community after all.

With Christmas around the corner, Samson is thrown into an investigation that will require all of his detective skills. He also needs the help of the tempestuous Delilah Metcalfe in order to infiltrate the local community, which Samson turned his back on so long ago. Against the background of a Yorkshire winter, Samson and Delilah must work together to uncover the malevolence that is threatening the lives of Bruncliffe’s senior citizens; a malevolence that will come perilously close to home."

It's not JUST because I love the cover with it's cheesy skull that makes me want to read this book, it's death in the Yorkshire Dales!

This is book 2 in the Dales Detective Series. I did not read book 1, Date with Death but Ms. Chapman did a good job of reviewing to catch you up. Samson and Delilah are working together to help the residents of the Local Nursing Home stay alive. The day before she dies, Mrs. Shepard comes to Sam claiming someone is trying to kill her. Set in the Yorkshire winter with folks preparing for Christmas the small town doesn't understand who would be putting such a damper on the holiday. Lots of suspense but no obvious violence this is a good read. A little more mystery than a cozy you'll enjoy solving the story and learning about some English Christmas customs. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is the second installment in this mystery series. I did not read the first book and there is some backstory and history there, however, I was able to enjoy this as a stand-alone read. The main characters are Sampson and Delilah (yep), he runs a detective agency and she runs a dating service along with being his landlord and best friend’s sister. Alice who is living in a retirement home approaches Sampson and she feels she is being targeted and funny things are happening. He basically blows her off and when she passes away he feels bad when some other strange things happen at the retirement home. Lots of humor and a good read. Like I said, I have not read the first book but think it would be best to read in order. Going to pick that one up and be caught up and awaiting the next installment.

The Dales Detective Series has fast become one of my favorites. I knew after reading the first book that I would need to devour the rest of them and I'm only disappointed that there are only three (so far!). I'm sitting here hoping Julia writes faster, ;). The setting in the Yorkshire Dales is absolutely gorgeous; Bruncliffe has a ton of charm and the residents have so much local color. All of the characters are well developed and so likeable that you really get to know them and care about them. Of course the main duo, Samson and Delilah, are the heart of this series and their relationship is developing at just the right pace. There are several mysteries in this book; one involves a missing sheep and the other a sinister threat at a retirement home; meanwhile, the mystery surrounding Samson's sudden reappearance in Bruncliffe is starting to heat up as he is receiving some very menacing phone calls. There is a lot to love in this series. The writing, the setting, the main characters, all of the charming townfolk, the adorable Tolpuddle, the mysteries, and of course, the romance. If you love British village cozies, this series is a must read. Highly recommend.

On one hand this is a 5 star in its plot. On the other hand its a 2 in character depth and relationships. We never really see Delilah at work. She's most often looking into a case while Samson who is suppose to be a private detective seems unable to detect anything. The best characters were the seniors. The ending seemed to come out of thin air. If the plot was tighter and the leads smarter it would've been terrific.

Date with Malice is the second book in Julia Chapman's series, following on last year's Date with Death which I read and enjoyed. Best in this novel are the recurring characters and the setting in the English countryside/Dales. This time, there are suspicious goings on at a residential community for seniors. Who is creating havoc and threatening the residents? Samson, a former undercover cop, and Delilah (yes, the names) are protagonists who spar, care for one another and have a history. Of course, there is a romance brewing. The mystery itself was not that hard to solve but all in all, this is an easy, pleasant novel for cozy lovers. Thanks for letting me read this NetGalley!

This second entry in the Dales Detective Series is great fun. This is an off-beat mystery, with a great cast of characters and a unique setting.

After working in law enforcement, Samson O'Brien has returned to the community he unhappily grew up in while secretly waiting for some undercover police related menace to find him. His landlord is old friend Delilah Metcalfe, whose late brother, killed in Iraq, was Samson's best friend.

In the meantime both are trying to stay afloat financially, Samson by starting a detective agency and Delilah by running a dating service and designing websites. A strong thread in this story is the character of Samson's father Joseph. After Samson's mother died when he was just a boy, his father dissolved into an alcoholic stupor and eventually was cheated out of the family farm and into a senior residence.

A fellow resident of Joseph's comes to Samson with some uneasiness about thefts and strange goings-on at the senior apartments. Samson is skeptical but before he can find out very much, his client dies under what might be mysterious circumstances. Soon several more residents are seriously injured and a great sense of peril surrounds the senior community.

Samson's relationship with his now-sober father needs repair, and their story is interesting and well-fleshed out. Samson and Delilah are attracted to each other but wary of involvement. Until Samson's past undercover activities get sorted, he's in limbo as far as moving forward with his life.

An entertaining side mystery is another client of Samson's who reports a stolen ram. The story of how Delilah and Samson track down the livestock is fun to follow. The local flavor and the great give and take between the two leads make reading this series a pleasure.

Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in return for my honest review.

Last year I read Chapman’s A Date with Death and found a terrific new mystery series to follow. This book just confirms what a good choice that was!

In the previous novel, disgraced cop Samson O’Brien came back to his hometown in the Yorkshire Dales running from his past in London. The good folk of Bruncliffe weren’t too happy to see the town’s bad boy return, and that included his former best friend’s sister, Delilah Metcalfe, who just happens to be the landlord of the office Sampson leased to house his new detective agency. However, the two managed to bury the hatchet to solve a series of murders affecting the dating agency Delilah runs.

This time around, Sampson is asked to investigate two possible crimes. One of them involves the disappearance of a prize ram from a local farm. In the second, a resident of the local assisted living community accuses the manager of wanting to harm her; after relating her suspicions to Sampson, she soon passes away. Sampson initially dismisses it as a coincidence—old people die, after all. Except her death is followed by a series of other incidents affecting the elderly people living in the community . . .

The fact that Chapman named her main characters Sampson and Delilah indicates the light touch with which the story is told. This isn’t a gritty crime novel, although it has a darker underlying tone than some village cozies, particularly in regard to the mysterious scandal that sent Sampson fleeing back to the Dales. The author also adds some style by breaking in to comment on the action—noting when a character has done something to put himself in danger, for example.

Beyond the mystery aspect of the novels, I’m caught up in the lives of the characters themselves. Part of that includes the deepening feelings between Delilah and Sampson, but it goes beyond their relationship. Sampson and his father Joseph are trying to reestablish a connection after years of estrangement due to Joseph’s alcoholism. Meanwhile, Delilah is dealing with disapproval from her oldest brother, who doesn’t trust Sampson, and an ex-husband who is threatening her hard-won equilibrium. And then there’s the mistrust Sampson faces from other members of the town, and the fact that Delilah’s two businesses aren’t doing very well, and . . . Well, suffice it to say that the author does a great job of fleshing out her characters’ lives beyond any crimes being committed.

Chapman also does a wonderful job bringing the Yorkshire setting and the village of Bruncliffe to life. It’s not an area I’m very familiar with, but her descriptions of the scenery and the people who live there make me want to visit!

Obviously, I’m hooked and will happily be reading the next book in the series. After all, I’ve got to find out what happened to Sampson in London. Oh, and the property developer who practically stole the O’Brien farm from Sampson’s father is up to something—but what?

Very highly recommended for anyone who likes English village mysteries. This series really is a cut above the rest.

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

What a joy to find a new series - two already published and a third by the end of the year. The Yorkshire setting, the humor and the two main characters are pitch perfect. Samson and Delilah are a wonderful pair, each carrying their share of emotional baggage and trying to move forward. Samson has been away from home, in London, for over a decade, returning under a cloud to start a new life as a private investigator. Delilah is divorced and running two businesses and they both find that they need each other. Samson is torn between two cases, a stolen ram and an elderly lady living in a retirement home who is certain she is being stalked. Samson decides the ram comes first and figures the elderly lady is just imagining things. Until things become very strange at the home and Samson has to investigate.
It's hard for me to say what stands out the most in this book. I somehow missed the first entry so I don't know if these are best read in order. The humor, the setting, the various characters, a very good mystery....if I was pressed to decide it would be that I would love to spend time with Samson and Delilah enjoying a pot of tea and conversation. This series is now on my 'must read' list.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

3.5* rounded up.

This follows on from the first in the series, just a few weeks later in time, so none of the overarching background stories (Samson's suspension and possible danger from his job in London, what Rick Proctor is doing at Samson's old home, Samson's living situation, Deliilah's ex etc etc) have moved on at all. There are two mysteries here: what happened to a missing ram, and (more seriously) what is going on at the retirement complex where Samson's dad is living. Despite the seriousness of what happens to the residents, there is something of the romp about the investigation. Delilah does the odd bit of work on her businesses, but mainly operates as Samson's sidekick.

Entertaining in a cozy way, but slow in places.

Oh fun! This cozy has two terrific characters in Samson and Delilah (even if we could argue about the names.). Delilah is a savvy businesswoman with two enterprises- a dating agency and an IT business. Samson is the classic tortured private detective. What makes this sing, however, is the humor. Not only between these two but also at the retirement home where they are investigating some dastardly deeds. Loved the Yorkshire setting, loved Delilah's commentary, loved the writing. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I had not read the first book in the series but I was happy with this one and will look for Chapman again in the future.