This is the first Monica Noble book I have read so I can confirm they work perfectly as stand alone.

Monica is a vicar's wife with a teenage daughter from a previous relationship.

Carol Ann is studying for exams that will pave the way to university but she also aspires to be a model. She wants to hate her stepfather, Graham, but really likes him although she will never admit it. She brings a little humour to the book as we read of Monica's struggles to keep her under control.

Monica wants a quiet life and is happy just being a Vicar's wife but she usually finds herself tangled up in murder cases much to the annoyance of DI Drury.

It is the annual Flower Show in the quiet Cotswold village and the competition is fierce not only among the entrants but also among the judges with each wanting the most prestigious category to judge.

When Vicar James Davies drops dead after smelling a rose the village is deeply shocked. Among them is a murderer but who is it? As DI Drury sets about the task of interviewing all the attendees he is not too happy to find Monica Noble among them. Can he unravel the clues to the murder before Monica?

This is a very interesting story full of interesting, unique characters with many twists, turns and shocks all the way to the very unexpected ending. This is a book that readers of Cozy Mysteries will absolutely love.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers: Joffe Books for the advance copy. This is my unbiased review.

This is an amazing story and I think it improves with each instalment.
This was a gripping and entertaining story, I loved the solid mystery and the well written cast of characters.
I look forward to reading the next book in this series.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I really enjoy Faith Martin mysteries so this was not an exception. Can't wait for the next one. Keep them coming

This is a cozy mystery that I really enjoyed. Monica Noble is a Vicars's wife and seems to get involved in solving murders. The village is having a flower show and Monica is a judge as well as a few others in town.A fellow judge is also a Vicar and he is killed while sniffing flowers. Everyone thought he had a heart attack but Monica found what had happened to him. A second murder happens and it happens to be one of the suspects of the Vicar's death.
Monica helps the Chief Inspector solve what is going on despite being told to stay out of it.
Monica also has a teenage daughter who is up to no good in trying to get her foot into being a model and following around a photographer.
We have a millionaire who owns a lab who is a no good person and divorcing his wife.
I received this ARC from NetGalley for review.

A likeable cosy mystery, featuring a vicar's wife detective. Well drawn characters, with setting vividly described. I enjoyed this.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Well described village inhabitants are all suspects in this shocking murder which takes place at the most unexpected of places- a flower show. Lots of possible suspects are ruled out to reveal the guilty person. Creative and well thought out. This author is a must read for fans of the cozy mystery genre!

The Flower Show murder By Faith Martin is the second book featuring the vicar’s wife and amateur sleuth Monica Noble. and was first published as “ Unholy Whiff of Death” and it was written under Faith Martin’s pen name Joyce Cato.

A year has passed, it's time for the Caulcott Green Village flowers show and fete. This is a loved fete and show and attracts lots of new visitors to attend. Monica Noble and her husband Reverend Graham Noble have been invited by their friend Rev. James Davies to each judge one of the flower competitions. This is an Honour for both of them especially as Monica does know the difference between a begonia from an azalea! This year the competition is at it's best with new visitors attending the fete must be at its best! Late afternoon Monica's fellow judge is found murdered. Then, a second murder quickly follows, this time a local scientist.

Chief Inspector Jason Dury and his team are called in to investigate the two murders. Monica Noble helps the local detective to solve the two murders and find the killer—quickly, before anyone else dies.

Will Chief Inspector Jason Dury and his team and the help on Monica Noble be able to find the killer before they strike again?

If you love an old fashion enjoyable cozy mystery, this is a series for you with its well described bunch of suspects throughout the book.

Many thank to the Joffe Books, the author Faith Martin Book, Netgalley for the digital copy to read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

I'm really enjoying this series. The beginning started a little slow, there are a lot of characters to be introduced to. But, it quickly picked up pace and was a satisfying murder mystery. I love the setting and the characters. I'm looking forward to reading more in this series.

Another triumph for Faith Martin. Once again, Monica Noble, innocent vicar' s wife, finds herself at the scene of a murder and Miss Marple like, manages to extract snippets of evidence from those present and uses her innate powers of deduction and prescient instincts to piece the puzzle together. Once again we have some familiar and well loved characters making an appearance, the handsome chief inspector, who harbours soft feelings for the pretty vicar' s wife, Rev. Nobel who lives up to his name and Carol-Ann, his wayward step daughter ,an aspiring model, who's attempts to attract the attention of a famous photographer , are continually thwarted by his jealously protective wife . Their interactions bring welcome levity and humour to the proceedings. Once again, the setting is in the typically English village with the usual wonderful assortment of characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this second outing for Monica Noble and already anticipating the next book!

Monica and Graham are faced with another murder mystery on their hands this time of their good friend and fellow Vicar, and of course, their daughter Carol Ann who thinks her actions have no consequences. I like the sneaky way in which the attraction of the Chief Inspector and Monica was slowly revealed, even Graham is aware of the Chief’s attraction to his wife. I don’t know where the author is going with this inclusion, we just have to wait and see. All in all the storyline is a good one, and the characters are okay, I’m not too sure about Carol-Ann’s, she gets on my nerve with her naive and disrespectful attitude. What I want to know if you were going to write the Chief Inspector in a growing attraction with Monica Why not leave her as a single Mom, why go putting that shadow of adultery over the story now. This is just my opinion folks don’t go bashing my head in now, the book makes an interesting and intriguing read.

Monica Noble has been volunteered for a neighbouring village Caulcott Green Flower Show together with her husband Graham by his friend the vicar of Caulton Green James Davies. There are many characters all trying to win different cups and rosettes at the Flower Show some being more ambitious than others. When the judging is to begin the James Davies collapses and dies. Leaving the Police to come in and try to find the murderer with Monica and Graham's help.
Another good read by Faith Martin with many red herrings to keep you guessing.

#TheFlowerShowMurder #NetGalley
Faith Martin has done it again. Superb mystery with a lot of suspense. The starting was a bit slow but it picked up pace in the middle. Fans of cosy mystery absolutely love it.
A good read.

cosy-mystery, england, law-enforcement, murder-investigation, small-town

The beginning appeared kind of slow with all of the characters and their motives for murder, but when the death occurs it becomes essential to keep it all in mind. The whole thing is diabolical and filled with twists and red herrings along with a few situational humorous bits for variety. No spoilers, and the publisher's blurb gives hints. Loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Joffe Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

Like all good murder mystery, this begins with the introduction of numerous characters, possible reasons for them to dislike each other, and careful setting of the murder scene. It is part of the charm of this genre, and the Monica Noble mystery series does this so well.

The setting at a village flower shower is atmospheric and true to life, the sense of community, gossiping and rivalry are perfect, as the reader tries to work out who is going to be the victim. This story has a good twist at an early stage, and the reader immediately has to pursue two strands of investigation.

The familiar set of regular characters are beautifully written, Graham, the kind, handsome vicar, who dotes on his younger, loving wife Monica, Carol Anne the rebellious teenager, who always has an angle, or a new project, but is pleasantly naive, and still in need of her mother’s guidance. Then there is the enigmatic DCI Jason Dury, who dislikes the inconvenient chemistry between the well-liked vicar’s wife and himself. The frisson of desire simmers under the surface, there but barely acknowledged.

The murder has a techno criminal aspect, and many suspects, and motives, it makes pleasurable reading and challenging investigating for lovers of whodunnit mystery. The characters and setting are vividly portrayed and easy to visualise, this would make a wonderful TV show.

Another engaging adventure for the Vicar and his clever wife.

I received a copy of this book from Joffe Books via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I have been a fan of Faith's for a couple of years now although it feels like longer than that. As soon as she releases another book, I grab a copy as quickly as I can and devour it (not literally but you get the picture) just as quickly. Faith's latest book is called 'The Flower Show Murder' and it was released on 30th September 2019. Oh my word, Faith has done it again and written one hell of a fantastic read. I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'The Flower Show Murder' but more about that in a bit.
What can I say about Monica Noble? She is a widow with a teenage daughter. Monica has found love again and she married a country vicar called Graham approximately two years before this story takes place, although they had been together for a lot longer than that. There is a bit of an age gap between Monica and Graham but it doesn't matter to either of them. A fair few of the villagers and Monica's friends are slightly envious of Monica because Graham is rather good looking. Monica is the dutiful vicar's wife but she still maintains her independence. It has taken her a while to be accepted by certain parishioners. Monica has a habit of being in the vicinity when a murder takes place. Even though she isn't a trained detective, she has an uncanny knack of being able to solve the murders that the police seem unable to. Monica is a clever woman and she a way of being able to extract information from people without them realising what she is up to.
'The Flower Show Murder' is another fantastic read by Faith Martin. I was hooked on this book from the moment I read the synopsis never mind from when I started to read the book properly. As soon as I started to read, that was it I just instinctively knew that I wouldn't be able to put this book down for any length of time. So it proved to be. Reading 'The Flower Show Murder' became seriously addictive. I would pick the book up only intending to read a couple of chapters but I would still be sat there reading four or five chapters later. I was so focused on the book that I lost all track of time and I was able to shut out all other distractions. Usually I have the attention span of a gnat and I am easily distracted but not in this case.
'The Flower Show Murder' is superbly written but then I wouldn't expect anything else from Faith Martin. She has a writing style that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. She draws you into the story from the first word on the first page and once she has your attention she won't let it go. Faith writes so realistically and uses such great descriptions that I really did feel as though I was part of the story itself. It's true that the chapters in this book are longer than you might find in other books but I was enjoying the book so much that I didn't take any notice of the length of the chapters, I just kept turning those pages.
Reading 'The Flower Show Murder' was like being on an unpredictable and slightly scary rollercoaster ride with more twists and turns that you would find on a 'Snakes & Ladders' board. Some of the twists I guessed and some of them I didn't.
All in all, Faith Martin has done it again and she has written one hell of a book and I would definitely recommend it to other readers. I can't wait to read what Faith comes up with next. Here's hoping that we don't have too long to wait. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

Having read all of Faith Martin's previous books I have to admit I was slightly disappointed with The Flower Show Murder, not that the plot involving the seemingly unconnectable murders of two men at a village fete wasn't good. I just felt that I didn't care about the characters quite as much as I have previously and the subplot involving the insipid, vacuous daughter of the central character throwing herself at a photographer in the vain hope of becoming the next Kate Moss was tedious and added nothing to the story.
On the positive side the twists in the plot were exceptional as always and I only managed to work out whodunit at the same time as Monica the amateur detective.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of The Flower Show Murder, the second novel to feature vicar’s wife and amateur sleuth Monica Noble.

Monica and her husband are invited to judge the entries at the neighbouring parish’s annual flower show despite knowing little about flowers. Dutifully they accept the invitation and duly arrive to carry out the task only to witness the Reverend James Davies drop dead after inhaling the bouquet of a prize rose. When a second murder occurs Monica uses her conversational skills to help DCI Jason Dury catch the killer.

I enjoyed The Flower Show Murder which is a good old fashioned, cosy murder mystery with an intricate solution and plenty of suspects. As ever, the solution is intricate but self evident when explained as all the clues are there although, somehow, I never managed to put them together, too busy following Ms Martin’s many red herrings I think. Is it particularly likely? Of course not, but who cares when you’re absorbed in trying to solve a couple of murders?

The novel itself is quite slow to start, no murder on the first page here, setting the scene and introducing the various characters. I won’t say it’s tedious but the multiple points of view from characters whose relevance is unknown didn’t initially hold my attention. It was only when the investigation began, about a third of the way through the book that I started to get more involved.

The characters are simply there, not particularly developed beyond broad brush strokes but with the plot being the thrust of the novel it doesn’t matter. Monica is Ms Martin’s favourite protagonist a smart, attractive female with a strong understanding of human nature although she leaves the normal humour of this character to her headstrong teenage daughter, Carol-Ann.

The Flower Show Murder is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

This is the second book in the new Monica Noble series and was originally published as "Unholy Whiff of Death" under Faith Martin's pen name Joyce Cato. In this story Monica and her vicar husband Graham are asked to help out with the judging of the flower show at the annual fete to be held in a neighbouring village by James Davies, a fellow vicar and friend of Graham. It's one of those affairs where the whole village turns out for the various stalls and five a side football, and rivalry runs high between the gardeners and jam makers. Even the much loathed owner of a newly built chemical company gets involved, despite being made very unwelcome by the local squire and the many locals that he has upset. The author takes plenty of time to set the scene and introduce all the main characters over the course of the first few chapters so that by the time the action kicks off the reader has a good idea what each of them is about. And of course knows exactly who the murder victim should be. So of course it is most disappointing when the wrong person gets killed. And then another murder follows on shortly after. Before even the second body is discovered a local doctor has attended the scene and declared that foul play is involved. DCI Jason Drury is soon on the case, sifting through countless suspects and motives. I like the fact that he plays the main part in running the investigation and that much of the action centres on him and his sergeant. He is a very good detective and only needs that little extra help from Monica who has once more been out and about picking up little bits of information that witnesses would not normally divulge to the police. Although there were plenty of red herrings in amongst the well described characters, it was not difficult to guess the truth of the murders quite early on since this story was not particularly complex, but it was still satisfying to be proved correct at the end. An entertaining read. 4*

Monica Noble is back! Her husband Graham( a vicar) and Monica are judging a flower show in a neighboring village. Monica proved in the first book of the series(The Vicarage Murder), that she has the uncanny ability to process clues and figure out whodunnit and why before the police. Her skills will be tested again, as it seems that not everyone attending the fair is interested in the flowers and it won't be long before murder unexpectedly becomes the main event.
With more potential suspects and motives than flowers, Chief Inspector Jason Dury( he was introduced in the first book)will rely on Monica's help to solve these perplexing crimes. One again, the author creates well-developed characters, and while I had my suspicions about the identity of the killer(s), I wasn't 100% sure until the reveal.
Faith Martin certainly knows how to write a cozy mystery and her books always remind me of one of my favorite shows, Midsomer Murders. Idyllic villages are picture-perfect to look at, but underneath there is a whole lot more going on. If you enjoy this type of mystery, I recommend The Flower Show Murder(you don't have to read the first book to understand what is going on).
I received a DRC from Joffe Books through NetGalley.

Please note this book was first published as “UNHOLY WHIFF OF DEATH” under Faith Martin’s pen name JOYCE CATO.

Monica Noble and her husband, Vicar Graham Noble are asked to help judge flowers at the annual flower show in a small village not too far from their home. The Vicar there is a friend of the Nobles and they are looking forward to visiting with their friends again.

During the judging, Vicar James Davies sniffs a beautiful and drops dead immediately. At first, a heart attack was suspected... until the local doctor senses something different and the police are called.

Chief Inspector Jason Dury is called to investigate and he's surprised to see the Nobles, recalling how they all met in a previous murder case.

And then there's a second body found ... a man with his head bashed in.

With a smorgasbord of suspects to investigate, all who seem to have a motive, it will take Monica and the CI to sniff out the truth and stop the person responsible before another body falls.

Another well crafted mystery from this author! The main characters are finely drawn, secondary characters are unique, some quirky, lending an air of credibility to the story.

Many thank to the author /Joffe Books / Books n All Promotions / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime/mystery. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.