When I though about the genre cozy mystery, it always meant to me that the sleuthing was done by an amateur. Often it was a chef, or a wedding, planner, an owner of a B&B, a florist,..., but now I come to think of it (it clearly took me a while lol), I realise I can also mean that there are no gory details involved. The investigator can easily be a police officer and for me it throws a different light on the genre. 

If I have to make a choice, I still prefer the amateur sleuth, but that is entirely personal.

I know that I said I was not really enjoying the last few books in the series as before. I found they lost a bit of their sparkle, but now Sukey is back with a vengeance and in my opinion this book deserves only good comments.

It was fun due to the little bit of romance thrown in and the cases Sukey had to investigate were very very good. I had no idea at all who could be blamed for all the devastating things going on in the village.

Of course Sukey finds the killer, but not without danger to her own life.

I love this book. It might even be the best of the series for me. 5 stars

Thank you

I very much enjoyed this book. It has a good story and excellent main characters. I would definately recommend this book.

I was fortunate to receive a proof copy of this from Net Galley in return for an unbiased review. I think it’s the first Suki Reynolds I’ve read, but sadly it didn’t grab me. You never find out much about the main characters - aside from Suki meeting the journalist and them having meals, drinks or sex, you never know much more about her. What does she like to read or watch? Interest in art or sport? Frustrations, likes? I’ve enjoyed Rowlands’ other series of Mel Craig, but this one not so much, sadly.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47951883-death-in-the-village

I love Sukey Reynolds and her series. It is totally a British cozy and the police procedures and settings are a nice change from American who done it. Sukey travels to Over Hampton to check on a doctor's concerns that a woman was murdered and not an accidental death like the police and coroner are calling it. Now two girls are missing from the village and their last known location is very near the cottage where Adelaide died. There are several suspects but Sukey's superiors aren't convinced the two cases are connected. This is book 11 in the Sukey Reynolds Mystery series. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Over all rating for this series is 4.5 and I've only got book 12 left to read , this series is one of my favorite new series that I started this year ,with that said I want to thank Netgalley for letting me read and review it.

Death in the Village
(Sukey Reynolds #11)
by Betty Rowlands

Kindle Edition, 326 pages
Published September 30th 2019 by Bookouture (first published April 1st 2011)



Goodreads synopsis:
This book was previously published as Miss Minchin Dies.

In the sleepy village of Over Hampton lies a small cottage with a picture-perfect garden… but inside the ivy-covered walls a woman is dead on the bathroom floor.

The warm summer weather is giving Sukey Reynolds a chance to enjoy the stunning English countryside around her new home. She has met a handsome local journalist, and there might be a new romance on the cards.

Everything is quiet at work too. So when the village doctor calls, saying he is sure there is something fishy about one of his patients’ deaths, Sukey follows up his claims. Well-liked and kindly Adelaide Minchin was found by her milkman, and appears to have died in a fall. Sukey can find no evidence to the contrary, but promises the doctor she will keep his theory in mind.

Meanwhile, the police force is suddenly very busy after two young girls go missing in the very same village. It’s all hands on deck to bring them home safely, but as Sukey investigates the last place the girls were seen, she realises it was very close to Adelaide’s cottage… Is it possible that the cases are linked?

Sukey’s colleagues are not convinced by her hunch, so she does some sleuthing in her spare time, determined to prove them wrong. In the close-knit village she has no shortage of possible suspects: was it the benevolent builders, the frazzled new father or the muddled milkman…? And can she find the real culprit, and bring the girls back home, before any more innocent lives are lost?


***

4.5 Stars

This is the eleventh book in the Sukey Reynolds mystery series by Betty Reynolds. The book was previously titled Miss Minchin Dies.

I guess I would call this a police procedural/detective fiction genre type of book. It is in the same vein as Midsomer Murders and features a cast set in England. The main character is a Detective Constable named Sukey Reynolds. She has just met a handsome journalist named Harry who is quite a handy ally in this book and does a lot of the information searches that she should probably doing on her own. But I like having him around so I will tolerate that little niggle.

A lady has died in her home discovered by the milkman. Everyone thinks this is just an average accidental death but the local doctor seems to have other ideas. He calls in the SID to investigate. Sukey is paired with a number of different people during the course of the book which keeps this mystery interesting. It is a long and winding path to find the killer and the details are discovered bit by bit. And what looked like a simple death has turned into a massive undertaking none of them were expecting.

This really kept me guessing and by the end I really had no clue. I loved watching the clues as they were uncovered and particulary liked the new budding relationship between Sukey and Harry. I kind of got the feeling the boss in charge might have been a bit sweet on Sukey but I have not read other books in this series so I look forward to seeing what develops in this world.

If you love a great police procedural, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed!

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

In this episode of the Sukey Reynolds series, the detectives are looking into a death that seems, on the surface, to be accidental but the woman's doctor claims it's not. Then, they are also asked to investigate the disappearances of two teenagers, decades apart but seemingly related. Sukey tries to juggle her work and her new romance with a local reporter, finding it a delicate balance as to what she can talk about with him. Another enjoyable mystery in the series!

It’s the 11th book in the Sukey Reynolds’ saga and it’s an unputdownable whodunnit that will make immerse you in the action.

As in her previous books, you will be presented with great descriptions, fast paced narrative and characters that make you feel part of the setting. Looking forward to next in the series!

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of this book to read and review.

Sukey is at it again with her hunches and investigating a new murder. I really liked this installment and it was hard to put down. The plot was great and could it be possible that Sukey has a new love interest?
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Death in the Village is the eleventh in this series and it doesn't disappoint. Betty Rowlands knows how to write a great mystery. Well written and interesting characters.

This is the 11th book in the series and I would recommend that at least a few of the other books are read before rather as a stand alone to better understand the characters and context.

I enjoyed this cosy murder mystery and liked the different characters. I get a little bit tired of Sukey's boss always being so grumpy due to things happening in his personal life - it at times seems like a broken record. But apart from that this was an enjoyable murder mystery.

Thank you for the arc.

Death in the Village by Betty Rowlands is the eleventh book in the Sukey Reynolds Mystery series and I just love these cosy mystery book. I find these books so easy to read and they just get better. So find your self a quiet corner, turn your mobile off and start to read this latest book in the Sukey Reynolds series.

I also find you don't need to read these in order which makes these books extra special. This lovely lady has a real talent for a good book. series

I highly recommend all of these books by Betty Rowlands.

Thank you to NetGalley, Betty Rowlands and Bookouture for the e-book ARC to read and review.

Adelaide Minchkin's body was found by the milkman dead on her bathroom floor. Apparently cardiac arrest but when her doctor insists that something is not quite right and that the coroner seemed to have overlooked or rather decided rather quickly that her death was due to natural causes, and causes a stir, the local Constabulary are called in.

When Sukey delves further into the happenings of this sleepy little village, lots of stuff surfaces. The previous owner herself, elderly in that case died suddenly and Adelaide who inherited the estate was an outsider, causing much ill will amongst the three siblings of Muriel. The owner before Muriel himself had died - sozzled, falling into a pool and drowning. The three deaths in succession are all quite self explanatory but now that a question has been asked, it is upto Sukey to investigate further.

Systematically going through the history and evidence around, and questioning all the villagers who are characters in themselves from the char lady to the local bar keeper was very well done and slowly a picture emerges of someone trying to hide something. When an old "cold" case seems to be somehow linked with the present deaths, Sukey knows she is on to something suspicious.

Told in a slightly old fashioned style, very reminiscent of this author's style the book is totally engrossing.

I'm going to be really sad when this series comes to an end, I've become quite fond of Sukey and her investigations. This is book eleven and I think that there are only two more left in the series. Reading these books is very much like meeting up with an old friend for a good old chin wag. I've never been a fan of the term cosy mystery and I think in many ways, this doesn't totally fit into that category, but there is something cosy about the familiarity of these books.
This time Sukey is involved in the investigation into a missing girl. There is also a question mark over death from seemingly natural causes. As the story progresses more things need to be looked into and it's not clear if any of them are connected at all. Sukey now has a boyfriend, a journalist who's father happens to live quite close to her. She enlists him to help out with a bit of poking around into something that isn't really an ongoing investigation and in the processes manages to solve the whole thing.
I have to admit that I had got this one all figured out before Sukey and the other detectives. She didn't make as many dramatic leaps this time, but she did seem to miss one or two things that seemed a bit obvious. I did think that there was a bit of a lack of understanding around computers, the idea that the police wouldn't even look at a missing person's computer until it was suggested that she might have met someone online seemed a little unlikely, even if this book was originally written in 2011.
Sukey now has familiar characters around her, although they are different from those that appeared in the earlier books. Her son Gus, who I've always really liked got barely a mention in this book. I suppose that he will have long finished university and moved away from home, but it would still have been nice to have some input from him.
I'm looking forward to the last two books with a mix of pleasure and sadness. They are always a good read, but I will miss them when I've reached the end.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

🕵Sukey's thrilling life: search for the missing and find new love?

🤗 I am a big fan of Betty Rowland's Sukey Reynolds Mystery series and each book keeps getting better! I love Detective Constable Sukey's resourcefulness and common sense mixed with a touch of intuition.

🔍What starts out as two cases that couldn't seem less similar -- a missing teen and a woman whose fatal fall in her home may not be accidental -- take Sukey and her colleagues to a village with more than its surfeit of shady activity. There are plenty of twists and red herrings, suspects and detectives pounding the pavement following up every slight lead. Sukey enlists the help of her journalist neighbor to research some of her less urgent suspicions.
Her immediate supervisor seems less harsh towards her and her competence has gained the respect of more senior officers who remain open to her hunches.

I must admit, I had pegged the wrong suspects and the action conclusion was a real thrill with Sukey, of course, right in the thick of it. Plus, Sukey opens herself to a budding bit of sweet and behind closed doors romance. Yes, Virginia, police detectives do sometimes have a life after-hours! A nice extra touch.😊,

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for providing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

I do enjoy this Britsh cozy murder mystery series featuring DC Sukey Reynolds though I often find that the synopsis is a bit misleading. Reading about Sukey's latest cases is like coming home. The characters are all so familiar and there is usually quite a bit going on in the local areas handled by the Avon and Somerset Constabulary where Sukey is in CID. I feel that, if you want to get the most from the stories, it is important to read them all in order from the beginning as Sukey has made some really significant changes in her personal and professional life over the years.

The CID team is all hands on deck as they are investigating a missing persons case. Daisy Hewett, a 15-year-old girl had left home for school 3 weeks prior and had seemingly vanished. It seems that the situation is quite similar to another cold case -- another girl, Valerie Deacon, had disappeared 20 years ago and police believe the same person might be responsible. Then, the body of a girl is found buried under some bricks in a ditch...Meanwhile, Sukey has another suspicious death to be concerned about when a homeowner is found dead in her bathroom. The woman, Adelaide Minchin, was well-liked and quite healthy and her GP is certain that a fall did not kill her. The coroner isn't convinced, however, so Sukey enlists the help of her journalist boyfriend, Harry Matthews, to do some digging around into the woman's family history to find out who might benefit from her death. Could these seemingly unrelated cases be connected? NO SPOILERS.

I love the writing style and the narrative flow of these books in the series. As a reader, you feel as if the installments just pick up where the last one left off as if you were just following Sukey around in her job and in her life. Sukey is a great character and very likeable. This one didn't have her interacting much with her son, Fergus, but she's busy and she does have a new romantic interest that might be taking more of her focus. She works hard and doesn't seem to be messed up or damaged or have a tendency to do stupid things -- and I appreciate that. I'm definitely looking forward to the next episode as the cases are always interesting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the e-book ARC to read and review.

In the sleepy village of Over Hampton lies a small cottage with a picture-perfect garden but inside the ivy-covered walls a woman is dead on the bathroom floor. Everything is quiet at work too. So when the village doctor calls, saying he is sure there is something fishy about one of his patients’ deaths, Sukey follows up his claims. Well-liked and kindly Adelaide Minchin was found by her milkman, and appears to have died in a fall. Sukey can find no evidence to the contrary, but promises the doctor she will keep his theory in mind.
Meanwhile, the police force is suddenly very busy after two young girls go missing in the very same village. It’s all hands on deck to bring them home safely, but as Sukey investigates the last place the girls were seen, she realises it was very close to Adelaide’s cottage. Sukey’s colleagues are not convinced by her hunch, so she does some sleuthing in her spare time helped by Harry.
Another engrossing page turning read the pace is good & there are plenty of red herrings to keep you guessing. Sukey has new boyfriend, Harry lending a hand in finding information & they seem to complement each other. Gus has taken a back seat in this story & only gets a mention at the end. I thoroughly enjoyed this story & found it hard to put down
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

This is the 11th in the Sukey Reynolds series by Betty Rowland's. I have read the previous 10 in series and highly recommend this series for all cozy mystery readers who enjoy English settings and great detectives. These are books that capture the reader and I am unable to part with until conclusion.

Our favorite detective Sukey is back and enjoying a quiet summer after finally being promoted to detective a few months ago. She loves her job and her quiet English village home. She even has a promise of a romance brewing which I hope will continue in the following books. All is not well in her quiet village when the doctor calls her to investigate a suspicions death of one of his patients. A kind women everyone loved has been murdered. At the same time two children have disappeared and Sukey soon has a feeling that the death and the missing children are related. However her colleagues do not agree but being the smart detective she is she forges ahead on her own and soon has the right suspects in her sights.

I love these mysteries and appreciate that the publisher approved me to read this wonderful mystery. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity for review. My opinions are my own,

When a likeable older lady is found dead in her bathroom by her local milkman all evidence points to it being a tragic accident but not everyone is convinced and her GP wants her death investigated again, with no more evidence turning up the police are ready to close the case but when two girls disappear from the same area the police suddenly find them selves busy trying to track them down and when it’s thought that they disappeared near the dead woman’s house, questions are asked as to whether the cases are related.

As always Betty Rowlands has written a likeable quintessential novel that has a quaintness sadly missing in many of today’s books and TV programmes, maybe these books should be adapted for Sunday evening telly.

I think of all the books in this series, this one had the most interesting characters. Add to the mix to odd bequests and a few missing young women. While I found some of the assumed links between crimes questionable, it was a very nice read and I enjoyed Sukey's continued growth.