This is far into a series of books and I felt like you could tell. It's your typical cozy mystery read, but I felt like it was lacking more mystery than his Brett's previous novels. Cool plotline though!

With thanks to Net Galley, the publisher and the author for the advanced digital reader's copy.

"The Liar in the Library" by Simon Brett, opens as the victim, Burton St Clair, gives a book talk at the seaside town of Fielding's library. Jude is in attendence, intrigued by his (final) recent success after years of writing that didn't take off. She had known the author 15 years before, as Al Sinclair, the husband of a good friend. When StClair is found the next morning, dead in his car after ingesting walnuts and having an allergic reaction. The victim's now ex-wife claims Jude knew of this allergy, and also had an affair with him. Suddenly Jude is a the primary suspect in the poisoning, and needs to investigate for her own safety.

I did not know when receiving this ARC that it was late into the series. Would recoomend this title (prior knowledge of the series was not really necessary), and will probably go back into the series when looking for a similar read for myself or a patron.

A best selling author has come to talk about his book at the local library. He thinks all women desire him and they don't. He still tries to persuade them by touching and being familiar but he has no success. He gets in an argument with one man and shuts another man down during the questions after his talk was over. He's leaving at the same time as Jude so he offers her a ride home since it's raining. She says OK but then he misbehaves in the car and she gets and walks home. The next day he's found dead in the car in the parking lot and Jude becomes a suspect.

Black Thorn and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It is being published today.

This author always writes good mysteries. This is another that was a treat to read.

His ex-wife tells the cops that Jude had an affair with the dead man and that was what ended their marriage. It's not true but the cops aren't sure they believe her. He was allergic to walnuts and that's what killed him. The problem is that he didn't eat anything at the library, he just had a glass of wine. Was that poisoned with walnuts? The bottle was dropped and broke so no one else could drink any. How did he encounter the walnuts?

Jude finds herself becoming a high suspect on the list so she starts her own search for the killer. That ends up getting her a talk from the police about compromising witnesses. So she asks her next door neighbor to take over. They'd worked on other cases together. They also find the answer before the cops do. The motive for the killing is unusual.

Give Mr. Brett a try, you might be surprised.

Simon Brett never disappoints. I have read many of the Feathering Village mysteries and this ranks as one of the best. The characters are developing nicely although the book can be read as a 'stand alone'. It was interesting that the author gives a nod to the Golden Age of crime writing in view of the recent success of the republication of many classic crime novels. Simon Brett has here himself written a modern classic crime story.

My thanks to Black Thorn for a digital edition via NetGalley of Simon Brett’s ‘Liar in the Library’ in exchange for an honest review. It’s been out in hardback for a while though a new paperback and ebook edition was published in early June 2019.

This is the eighteenth in Brett’s Fethering Village series of cosy mysteries. While I have not read any in this particular series of the prolific Brett’s body of work, I adore his ‘Blotto and Twinks’ series that brilliantly parodies 1920s aristocratic whodunnits. Even though a newcomer to this series, I had no difficulty getting a sense of the series’ setting and main characters.

This series features amateur sleuths Carole and Jude. In this outing a famous author comes to Fethering library to talk about his best selling novel. He is extremely full of himself. He also is a former friend of Jude’s. When he is found dead this prior relationship and the fact that Jude was the last person to see him alive, makes her the police’s prime suspect. Despite police warnings, Jude and Carole investigate.

Brett plays it straight though manages to put in witty asides about crime fiction and Golden Age polymathic amateur sleuths with hopelessly inefficient police forces while having his main characters do some good sleuthing. There is also some nice swipes at the snobby author, who considers crime fiction as ‘inferior’.

One amusing minor character is Professor Vanessa Perks, an expert on Golden Age Detective Fiction, with her various theories on homicides. Another is Nemone Coote, a poet who punctuates conversations with references to her poems and repeatedly asks if Jude had read this or that collection. I had the sneaking suspicion that some of these characters were inspired by real life encounters.

This was a light read and just delightful. It reminded me of what a pleasure it is to read Simon Brett.

I almost DNR’d this book but am glad I stayed with it. This is #18 of a series which I didn’t know. There are two amateur sleuths that solve the crimes in their town. One is the prime suspect in a murder of a former friend. It’s a good light, fast read. #The Liar in the Library, #Netgalley

It didn't matter at all that I was jumping into the Fethering Village Mystery series without having read the previous 17 mysteries! "The Liar in the Library" is a quick, fun read, with some amusing asides about literary "types", albeit possibly a little formulaic! Although I guessed the guilty party almost as soon as they were introduced, this enhanced rather than detracted from my enjoyment of the book and I'm now planning to read more in the series. Many thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for giving me a copy to read in exchange for this honest review.

The local library in the sleepy coastal English town of Fethering was holding an author visit from Burton St.Clair. Burton had written a best seller, Stray Leaves in Autumn and was sharing his thoughts about the book with the audience. Burton had a large ego and was a womanizer. Jude had been friendly with St. Burton and his ex-wife, Megan, 20 years before. As Jude was leaving the event on that rainy night, she accepted Burton’s invitation for a ride home.

Once they got in the car, Burton made advances on Jude and she escaped from the car and walked home alone. The next morning his dead body was found in the car and Jude was a prime suspect since she was the last person seen with him. Then the cause of death was found to be anaphylactic shock from an allergic reaction to walnuts. The police found a bottle of walnut oil in Jude’s cupboard.

Jude and her neighbor, Carol, were amateur sleuths, and decided to solve the mystery on their own. Jude was a natural healer and Carol was a retired civil servant yet they made a good team. St.Clair’s ex-wife Megan was convinced that Jude and the deceased had conducted an affair years before and told the police that information. So the police suggested Jude stop her investigation and so Carol had to continue investigating alone.

This is the 18th book in the series of cozy mysteries that are popular in England.

This ARC was provided by Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Jude attends an author event only for the author in question to die and she become the prime suspect. Can she and her neighbour figure out who really committed the crime before she is the one arrested.

This is book 18 in the series and the first one I've read but I didn't need to read the others to understand this story. I do want to read more though after reading this one. The plot was interesting and I didn't figure out the murderer until the very end. The ending was very good and finished the story perfectly. I would have liked a better resolution with Megan though. A great whodunit.

In the 18th novel in Brett's long-running Fethering mystery series, Jude attends a talk given by best-selling author Burton St Clair at the Fethering Library. It just so happens, she knew him many years ago when he was married to a good friend of hers. He was a philanderer then and nothing much has changed except wives. He offers Jude a ride home after the event and is found dead in his car the next morning. Jude seems to be the chief suspect. How to prove she had nothing to do with his murder?

Jude and her friend and neighbor Carol make a fun and rather odd couple of amateur sleuths. Several other eccentric characters fill out the cast.

I thought this was a well-plotted cozy mystery that moves along at a nice pace and keeps you guessing to the end. An enjoyable and quick read.

I received an arc from the publisher via NetGalley for my honest review. Many thanks.

Jude is an amateur sleuth in this cozy murder mystery that begins in the local library. Burton Sinclair is a published author in town to give a talk on his newest successful novel. After the talk, Jude accepts a ride home with him and is the last one to see him alive. Burton is found dead in his car from poisoning in front of the library. Jude is the prime suspect, but can she and her neighbor, Carole, solve the crime before she is charged?

An easy to read, entertaining book about a golden age type murder mystery in a pleasant small town with lovable and relatable characters. The ending was surprising and unpredictable. This book was eighteenth in the series, but I didn't feel like I needed to read the others to follow the plot. I enjoyed reading it!

I am delighted to be renewing my acquaintance with Little Fethering, and Jude and Carole, two very enthusiastic amateur detectives. This involves an unusual, but topical murder, in today's obsession with food allergies, walnuts!!
Burton St Clair is a writer who is in Fethering to promote his best selling novel. Jude has known both he and his first wife for ages, but their friendship soured, when his wife Megan believed that the pair of them were having an affair. After the literary event, Burton offers Jude a lift home, but Jude finds he has a bad case of Desert disease( wandering palms) and gets out and walks home. The next morning Burton is found dead, and Jude is the prime suspect.
This is a cosy murder series, beautifully described, step by step, and all questions are answered in a logical way. The Police are made to look like complete numpties, as Jude and Carole take on the investigation and get surprising results. I like the fact that the story is complex enough to intrigue, but is not reliant upon blood and guts to keep readers interested.
These books are reminiscent of the Golden Age of murder mysteries, involving trappings of money and class, but this also introduces the notion of immigration problems, common to small villages and suburban areas of the country. The pub worker is Polish, but honest and a reliable worker, speaking good English and not on benefits. Her uncle conforms more to the racial stereotype, drunken and violent, but problems will be removed and taken back to Poland. These books can be slightly moralising at times, but there is always a strongly defined sense of right and wrong.
I have read so many of these books, and have bought them as presents for my friends, recommended them to my family and book group, I really feel I should be on commission !! I loved the radio adaptation of these books that starred Bill Nighy, and I greatly enjoy the aliteration of the titles. They are a pleasure to read and review. I will leave a copy of this on Goodreads with a five star rating.

I haven't come across this cosy crime mystery series before, even though "The Liar in the Library" is book eighteen, but I'd be happy to read more. This was a good example of light-hearted amateur sleuthing that was very funny and really easy to read. I liked the sleuthing duo, Carole and Jude, although they made an unlikely pair. I didn't feel lost coming in so late into this series, but I would like to go back and read some of the first books to learn about their beginnings. Simon Brett made some quiet references regarding issues around homelessness and library closures which don't often feature in a book of this type, giving the story more weight which I rather liked.

All in all, I would recommend "The Liar in the Library" to anyone who is fond of a good cozy novel. It was witty, thoughtful and a great read.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Black Thorn via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

I had not read this author before and think this will be a new series. The plot was interesting and harkens back to the Golden Age of Mysteries. There was witty dialog and many red herrings. My problem was the protagonists--amateur sleuths were not likeable to either myself or each other. Nevertheless, a good afternoon read.

An entertaining cozy. I had not read any of the preceding books but this was fine as a standalone because Brett has created two very nice characters in Jude and Carole. Now we all know Jude did not kill St Clair but who did? Well, there are more suspects than one might imagine. There are some twists but nothing too complicated and it motivated me to look up a few of the mysteries referenced. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Set in a small village literally a stone’s throw from where we live in Littlehampton, which is mentioned several times in the book, I’ll freely admit that one of the attractions with this entertaining whodunit is the fact that I recognise the towns they visit. It is rather fun to so clearly visualise the setting during the investigation, even if the village of Fethering is a construct. Of course, the book would be a downright trudge if that was the only thing going for it, so the fact that I really like Jude and her relationship with her rather prickly neighbour, Carole. It’s a bonus they are both retired and of a certain age – while I haven’t yet retired, I’m also well into middle age and it’s a solid pleasure to read a book with two female protagonists who reflect my own age-group. It doesn’t happen all that often…

Jude is a thoroughly likeable protagonist, who during the story becomes the chief suspect in the murder. These days, with our overloaded justice system, it’s all too believable to see a scenario where she could be imprisoned for perpetrating a crime she didn’t commit, so the stakes in this case are far higher than terminal boredom. What turns this readable adventure into pure delight, however, are the acidic observations Jude and Carole both have on the world and the characters around them. Brett doesn’t hold back from having a pop at the state of the publishing industry and the struggles rural libraries are having to keep going, amongst other aspects of life in modern England – as well as the protagonists’ observations about the other characters they come into contact while on the case. Several times I giggled aloud at a nicely pithy phrase.

I found the ending not only satisfying, but unexpectedly poignant. If you are looking for an entertaining cosy mystery with a thoroughly modern take on the genre, then go looking for this offering – it reminded me all over again why I enjoy Brett’s writing so much. While I obtained an arc of The Liar in the Library from Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
8/10

Simon Brett I first came across in my teens via the Mystery & Thriller Guild, one of the many book clubs run by Book Club Associates (anyone remember them?!). I enjoyed the Charles Paris mysteries , a series of books (in striking yellow covers) based on an actor and how he always seemed to be involved in theatrical based murders.

Fast forward a fair few years and Simon Brett is still writing witty and enjoyable crime novels. ‘The Body In The Library’ is the first of the Jude and Carole amatrue sleuth books I have read (this is number 18, as Simon Brett is a tad prolific!). It is a gentle send up of the Golden Age of Crime writers and books, what publishers now refer to as ‘cosy crime’. However, Simon Brett cunningly adds in plenty of plot twists and a whole host of possible murderers. He also finds time to promote the cause of libraries (although the victim is bumped off outside a library, perhaps not the greatest advert for them) and gives insight of an author’s life, both from the successful one and at the other end, the self-published author who is bitter about any other writers success.

An enjoyable read, perfect escapism into an updated Golden Age of Crime writing.

Death, by walnut, of an insufferable writer is about to be pinned on Jude. So she must find the real killer in Liar in the Library.

I’ve read most of the author’s Charles Paris series of behind-the-stage-door mysteries and enjoyed them. When I saw this book, the 18th in the Fettering mysteries but my first, on NetGalley, I snatched it up. Maybe I had too high of expectations but the Liar in the Library didn’t hold my interest. The murderer was too easy to detect. In addition, I didn’t connect with either of the main characters. Overall, it was a disappointment that I can’t recommend. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 stars.

Thanks to Black Thorn Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

I quite enjoyed this book. I managed to listen to the audio book, and it was brilliant. The story was enjoyable, and I felt a little bit like I was on an adventure with a female Sherlock and Watson.

However, there were a lot of characters, and I did find myself getting a bit confused.

But I enjoyed the story nonetheless.

A very good old fashioned who dunnit.
After fearing she is number suspect for the murder of an old friend, Jude enlists the help of her neighbour Carole to unravel the mystery of the murdered author