Kate recently moved to Cornwall with her sister. She gets caught up investigating a murder and is being stalked by the killer. Will she figure out who it is before she ends up on the killer's list?

A British cozy mystery.

I reviewed the book at KOBO, BAM, Apple Books and Google Books but am unable to link to my specific review. Amazon and Barnes and Nobel reviews are pending and i will supply the link when posted.

I have been a fan of Dee’s work for a while now. I have read and loved each and every one of her books to date. ‘A Body In The Village Hall’ marks a new sort of genre from Dee and I was curious to see whether or not I would love this book as much as I loved Dee’s other. The synopsis made the book sound like the sort of mystery story I particularly enjoy. I wasn’t wrong either because I absolutely loved reading ‘A Body In The Village Hall’ but more about that in a bit.
I absolutely loved the character of Kate Palmer and I warmed to her from the very first time I met her. Kate is a nurse, who has moved to the area with her sister. Kate doesn’t know many people but she has thrown herself into village life. Kate comes across as warm, kind, compassionate, sensitive, feisty, determined and occasionally stubborn. I don’t know whether or not it’s a nursey thing (well actually it is because both my parents were nurses) but Kate also comes across as inquisitive, tenacious and at times plain nosy. Skills which also come in rather handy in the detective but I guess you could say that nurses are detectives. Anyway back to the point, Kate cannot help but become involved in the investigation and she does her utmost to try to discover who the killer was. The only thing is that there are a lot of suspects, who each seem to have had their own reasons to dislike the murder victim.
Oh my goodness, I absolutely loved ‘A Body In The Village Hall’. To say that reading this book became addictive seems a massive understatement. I would pick up the book only intending to read a chapter or two but I would become so engrossed in the story that I just couldn’t have stopped reading even if I had wanted to! I loved Kate and the case intrigued me so I just had to keep reading. I was wrapped up in the story that I lost all track of time and I didn’t realise just how quickly I was getting through the book. All too quickly I reached the end of the story, which I was disappointed about. I had been enjoying the book so much that I didn’t want the story to end. I soon cheered up though when I realised that ‘A Body In The Village Hall’ was actually the first book in a new series and that the next book would reunite me with Kate and the other villagers.
‘A Body In The Village Hall’ is superbly written but then I have thought that to be true of all of Dee’s books to date. Dee grabbed my attention from the start and then drew me into the story. I loved the way in which she describes the characters of those who live in the village. The busybody villagers who seem to mind everybody else’s business but their own. I even found that I was comparing the villagers in the book to the sorts of characters who live in the village where I live. ‘ A Body In The Village Hall’ is described as being a cozy mystery and it is but it is also darkly amusing – or at least I thought it was. One such example is the fact that the poor murder victim is laid on the floor of the village hall with a knife through her heart and all that one of the busybody villagers can say is ‘we’ve only just bought those knives’ or words to that effect. I really did feel as though I was part of the story and that’s thanks to Dee’s very vivid and realistic storytelling.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘A Body In The Village Hall’ and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I will definitely be reading more of Dee’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

This was my first cozy mystery novel so wasn’t sure what to expect. I’ve been meaning to give this genre a go for a while so was excited to read A Body in the Village Hall.

I enjoyed this easy read, and I can understand where the ‘cozy’ description comes from. I liked following the investigation and uncovering who did it.

However, I really didn’t like the main character, Kate Palmer. I found her to be incredibly nosy and annoying. Is it normal in a cozy mystery for a character to insert themselves in the middle of an investigation, acting as if they were the detective?

I will give this genre another go, but probably won’t read any more in this particular series.

This is the first instalment in the new Kate Palmer Mystery series by Dee MacDonald and features experienced nurse Kate who has relocated from West London to Cornwall along with her sister, Angie. The sisters have both moved into gorgeous Lavender Cottage in the picturesque village of Lower Tinworthy, hoping for a more peaceful life. Whilst attending a Women's Institute meeting just six weeks after their arrival, a local villager is murdered in the village hall with a cake knife. The victim, Fenella Barker-Jones, had managed to acquire rather a lot of enemies over the years and Kate soon realises the police are going to need as much help as possible. DI Woody Forrest is the detective inspector on the case so Kate forms a friendship with him and they team up to figure out the puzzle of Fenella's killing. Married to a well-off landowner and businessman, Seymour Barker-Jones, Fenella was known to have had dalliances and entanglements with plenty of men, some of whom were also spoken for. But when someone breaks into Kate’s Lavender Cottage and leaves her a warning note it becomes clear the murderer is prepared to do anything to keep their identity hidden…

A Body in the Village Hall is a superb cosy mystery with plenty of substance but still maintaining that cosy edge, with the chocolate-box cottage and alluring countryside locale. Divorcee Kate who is working as a practice nurse at the local medical centre, is an intrepid and caring character. Her fondness for sexagenarian Woody is charming to read about and they make an effective sleuthing duo. This is a comfortably paced, easy read with an hugely enjoyable plot, and a great cast of characters. It boasts a bucket-load of suspects with plausible motives, and many red herrings, twists and disclosures. A compelling cosy with fulfilling a conclusion that I highly recommend.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

Kate Palmer moved to Cornwall with her sister, Angie, who she believes needs to cut down on the drink & might do so if she is there to keep an eye on her! The picture perfect cottage however needed a bit more work than expected so she works part time at the health centre. Whilst at a WI meeting there is a scream from the kitchen. When Kate gets there she finds the local 'Lady of the Manor' with a knife in her heart! It seems a lot of the village were not overfond of the lady. Being a fan of crime programmes Kate decides to do a bit of sleuthing! But this is not appreciated by some people!

This is a really well written 'cosy' mystery with some great characters & a setting that makes you want to visit. I didn't realise this book was written by the same author as The Silver Ladies of Penny Lane among other books I have enjoyed, but I was not surprised as her lovely style of writing is to be found in this book too. I loved this one & I am already looking forward to the next one in the series. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

A Body in the Village Hall by Dee MacDonald, the first in Kate Palmer series, is a book you can be sure you will be hearing more about. It features ... Kate Palmer, a 60ish nurse living on the Cornish coast with her sister, an alcoholic artist, who has never quite grown up. She is at a talk about growing vegetables with her sister, hoping her sister would become interested and productive, something she is not at the moment. All of a sudden she is being called to the kitchen where she sees one of the ladies who had been prepping the snack, with a knife in her chest, obviously dead. Well, at least the lecture was not putting her to sleep any longer.

This is an endearing book about, among other things, a dysfunctional older woman (Angie, Kate's sister); a small town where everyone is in everyone's business, sometimes successfully, sometimes not: and a murder on the loose. Kate is a sensible, friendly, interested character who is determined to make a new life for herself in this small town in Cornwall, despite the obvious issues. Her sister, Angie, is a mess but pretty entertaining, and the police detective, Woody, is the ideal partner-in-crime for Kate. The mystery was a good one and the reader figured it out right along with Kate. I see a fabulous future for this fledgling series. I recommend it!

I was invited to read an ARC of A Body In the Village Hall by Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #abodyinthevillagehall

A cozy and charming who done it. Kate is a nurse who just moved to a small village in Cornwall for a quieter life. *Kate must not read enough, seems as though every time you move to a small village for a quieter life things happen* not Long after Kate and her sister arrive in the village a body is discovered and the victim was killed by her own cake knife. Kate soon learns through the village grapevine and her patients that the victim Fenella had a lot of enemies. A lot of enemies equals a lot of suspects, and Kate is determined to suss out the culprit. Local police chief Woody Forest *Best name ever* ends up teaming up with Cate to puzzle together the mystery. OK a little far-fetched that the police would welcome a civilian into the investigation. BUT Kate is an expert. She has watched lots and lots of murder mysteries on television, make sense. *so now I’m thinking I too am an expert* In spite of Kates questionable expertise she was a great character and this was a fun book. I loved puzzling the mystery together and was suspicious of everyone in the village at one time or another. The setting was so charming I absolutely loved how the village and the surrounding area was described. An entertaining start to what looks like a compelling new cozy mystery series.

*** Big thank you to Bookouture for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

The first in a new cozy mystery series featuring nurse and amateur sleuth Kate Palmer.

Kate Palmer, divorced for 25 years, and her widowed sister, Angie, have moved to Cornwall and bought Lavender Cottage in the little village of Lower Tinworthy. While attending a lecture at the Women's Institute, the talk is interrupted by a murder. Kate finds Fenella Barker-Jones, wife of one of the richest men in town, with a kitchen knife in her chest. Attending the scene is Detective Inspector Woody Forrest, and soon he and Kate are sharing more than a mutual interest in the investigation. When one of the suspects for the killing also turns up dead, Kate decides that she has a pressing need to figure out what happened. NO SPOILERS

There are plenty of red herrings and Kate is quite busy nosing around in the way of the amateur as she tries to identify the killer. This was a fast read with lots of detail about Cornwall and the countryside along with many interesting characters. As Kate is 57 years old, this series might have a large appeal to persons of a certain age. I was drawn to select it to review because Kate was a nurse and indeed, there are some details about her job, but it isn't at all related to the murder mystery. I may have the inclination to read the next in the series.

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

5/5 Stars - A charming, classic mystery!

This book has an ideal setting, a cozy village in Cornwall, and an incredibly likable heroine in Kate and a classic whodunnit mystery at its center, which makes this book the perfect weekend or vacation read. 

The central mystery has plenty of suspects and few concrete clues, so it kept me on my toes as I was reading. It’s an Agatha Christie-type process of elimination puzzle, which is fun because readers actually have a chance to work through everything with the characters. 

Also there’s an adorable romantic subplot which was fun. It wasn’t too intense and didn’t detract from the main mystery, it was just the perfect amount of cheerfulness for a cozy mystery. I am excited to see where Kate and her “dishy detective” go from here and whether or not Angie can get things together.

Overall, this was a cute, quick mystery which set up what will hopefully be a nice series to come. I will be looking out for more in the future!

Quite a charming book set in a quiet Cornish village with a not so charming murder. Author Dee MacDonald, with the first book of the series, had laid down the precedent where cozy met with grit and determination to solve a murder.

A knife to the heart near the cakes, and Kate, a nurse, was the first on the scene. Together with the lead cop, Woody Forrest (and yes, that really was his name) the duo went about questioning the suspects to unmask the killer.

Being the first book set in a close knit community of the village of Tinworthy, I fell quite in love with the seaside village and its residents. But it was Kate who was etched most lovingly in the book. With an observant eye and intelligent mind, she was quite a force in the book. I loved the way investigation was interspersed with barely a tinge of romance.

The writing set the right tone for the story with red herrings and motives; the twists were gentle and inserted at the right times. Characters were varied and lively. I was happy that the book read fast, at least faster than the normal cozies.

Overall, it a sweet whodunit where an amateur sleuth and a professional cop joined hands in mutual respect to shake down the savory character from the community. Fun times, indeed.

A Body in the Village Hall is the first instalment in the Kate Palmer Mystery series and features nurse and amateur sleuth Kate who has relocated from London to stunning Cornwall for a quieter, more rural life with her sister, Angie. She moves into the picture-perfect Lavender Cottage in the beautiful village of Lower Tinworthy which she shares with Angie. But merely six weeks after their arrival a village inhabitant is brutally murdered in the village hall with her own cake knife having attended a Women's Institute meeting. Fenella Barker-Jones appeared to be a busybody who had garnered a lot of enemies over the years and Kate realises the police are going to need all the help they can get. So she strikes up a friendship with almost-retired Detective Inspector Woody Forest (every time I read his name I was laughing) and they join forces to try to piece together the puzzle of Fenella's killing. Fenella is married to a wealthy landowner but she mustn't take her vows too seriously as she is known to have had affairs with plenty of men, some of whom were also taken. Then the body of Kevin Barry, a local handyman just released from prison, is discovered washed up on the beach...

This is a superb cosy mystery with more bite and grit but still maintaining the cosy feeling; we still are presented with the chocolate-box cottage and countryside location. In my mind, it was exactly like the villages in Midsomer Murders: quaint and typical of the area. It's simply the perfect book to escape from the troubles of the world and inhabit someone else's even for a few hours. Kate is a great character who is a divorcee and works at the local medical centre. She also develops a liking for Woody that seems beyond platonic so romance may or may not happen in future books. They make an effective sleuthing team, too. This is a fun, fast-paced, easy read with an enjoyable and entertaining plot, a good cast of characters and a whole tonne of suspects with motives, plenty of red herrings, twists and reveals. A delightful cosy that has a satisfying conclusion and if you like the solid, usual format of cosies in general then this will be something you may want to pick up. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.

Cozy Murder Mystery in a small English Village
I loved this book and this author. Her style of writing reminds me of Betty Rowland's. The basic layout of a village murder, nosy sleuth, and dishy cop is always a good one. What makes this special is how intricate the mystery is. I thought that I had the mystery figured out, but I was so wrong! There are several sub-plots that really tweak the heartstrings, too. All in all, a great book. I can't wait for more of the series. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When a woman is found murdered in the Village hall, the murder weapon being her own cake knife, Nurse Kate Palmer puts herself on the case. Having recently moved to this cozy village for a quiet life, the last thing Kate thought she would do was end up caught in a murder investigation.

I love mysteries Agatha Christie is the Queen of mystery. Although this was Agatha Christieesque, this book fell flat for me. For a book claiming to be ‘An utterly gripping cozy murder mystery,’ the only part that was ‘gripping’ happened at the end of the book and was only a scene. While reading this book, I could see it as a show; however, as the book progressed, it drifted farther away from these thoughts.

It didn’t make sense to me that the police officer would be encouraging Kate to be apart of this investigation actively. Even in a cozy sleepy town, I highly doubt a police officer would be okay with a civilian getting in the way of a murder investigation. That doesn’t add up. Kate justified her qualifications to be a part of the investigation because she watched a lot of murder mysteries on tv. Which in no way gives her the skills to do so in the book. There was an odd part when she is going to go out to dinner, and she decides to starve herself all day so she can enjoy her dinner. I’m sorry, but that is not okay and not healthy.

From a craft standpoint, the books had a lot of cliches, and she tried to convey everything through eye descriptions. For a book that claims to be ‘An utterly gripping cozy mystery,’ it wasn’t.

This is the first in the Kate Palmer mystery series and the first book I’ve read by Dee MacDonald and I can safely say that it won’t be the last!

Nurse Kate Palmer moved from London to Cornwall with her sister hoping for a quiet life but a murder of Fenella Barker-Jones soon puts an end to that. Fenella has no shortage of enemies and amateur sleuth Kate gets pulled into the investigation.

A body in the village hall is a light hearted mystery with plenty of red herrings, intriguing character and a little romance thrown in there to boot.

This is such a fun fast paced book, I devoured it in two sittings, I didn’t want to put it down!

I love the character of Kate. Sometimes with an amateur detective, they come across as a little pushy or annoying but she comes across as caring and kind yet firm when she needs to be. Also how she puts up with her overdramatic alcoholic sister Angie is beyond me.

I wasn’t entirely surprised by the ending but I do love to play detective myself and figure out the mystery before the amateur sleuth does.

A body in the village hall is a great start to this series and I can’t wait to read more!

Kate Palmer has relocated to Cornwall for a quiet life. Moving into picturesque Lavender Cottage with her sister Angie, the little village of Lower Tinworthy should be the perfect place for their fresh new start. But within weeks of their arrival, there’s a death in the close-knit community. A woman is found stabbed to dead in the village hall, with her own kitchen knife. Kate, a practice nurse at the local medical centre, begins to piece together the clues. Fenella was at the centre of village activity, and there seem to be plenty of people who had reason to dislike her. As Kate gets drawn into life in Lower Tinworthy, she begins a close friendship with Detective Inspector ‘Woody’ Forrest, who is near to retiring – and determined to crack his last case. Together, they set about solving the mysterious crime. But when someone breaks into Kate’s home and leaves a warning note on her pillow, it becomes clear the murderer is prepared to do anything to keep their identity hidden
This is the first in a new series & the first book I’ve read by the author & it certainly won't be the last. A well written cosy mystery with plenty of red herrings & twists & turns to hold my interest all the way through. I also didn’t guess the murderer until they were revealed. Strong believable characters added to my enjoyment as did the burgeoning relationship between Kate & Woody. I hope that there are further books in the series with the pair of amateur sleuths.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

What a couple of sisters to set a cosy mystery with. Angie and Kate are as chalk and cheese. Alcoholic bohemian Angie who is constatly on the lookout for adventures and mishaps and constientious nurse Kate who simply wants quiet life in her retirement.

None of them got what they want though. The tiny village that they retired to is not the place for quiet life or for bohemian parties. It is the scene of secrets and pain unraveling with the effect of snowball.

With all the main characters being over fifty, this book is a very positive look at retired life. People are lively and lovely, active and curious, falling in and out of love and going about their lives with all the drive and energy you expect from younger people.

‘He’s got nice teeth… Hope they’re his own’

But the village life is the story on itself. Nothing happens in the village without everyone forming their own opinion.

‘In the course of her shift Kate was informed of at least six different characters who would have been more than happy to kill one, or both’.

What a lovely thought? What a lovely place to live in, don’t you think? But all in all, the village is a lovely place when all the crimes get solved.

I liked the book because of the main characters: Kate and Woody. I’d like to see how their relationship develops. Would Woody really retire? Would he stop solving crimes? Would he manage to stop Kate getting herself into danger?

A very nice begining of the series (if there are to be series)

What a brilliant mystery this is, and a very promising start to a new series.

Kate Palmer and her sister Angie are only just beginning to settle into their new Cornish cottage; whilst attending a WI meeting at the local village hall a murder is committed and suddenly their new life doesn't seem just as idyllic. Despite Angie's fears, Kate just can't leave the investigating to the police but her sleuthing leads to her putting herself in danger - but from whom?

I expected to enjoy this, having read some of the author's previous works, but I would venture to suggest that mystery is most definitely her genre. I'm so pleased that this is the first in a series and hope that it's going to be a lengthy one. Kate is a very likeable character; well developed but, at times, with a pain-in-the-ass for a sister. This is an intricate and well-penned story with no shortage of suspects - at times I suspected each and every person in the village! With a wonderful setting, beautifully described, an easy flowing narrative and a complex mystery running alongside the normal day-to-day routine, I found myself racing through this one, eager to find out who did what - and to who! A terrific read and one I'm happy to recommend and give a full house of sparkling stars.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

What a great new cozy mystery series! A Body in the Village Hall introduces Kate Palmer, a nurse who with her sister, gin lover Angie, has relocated from London to the charming village of Tinworthy (Lower, Middle and Upper) expecting peace and quiet in the Cornwall countryside. That is not to be. After only six weeks in town, Kate has been first on the scene at two murders and finds herself in the middle of the investigation - with hunky 60 year old D.I. Woody Forrest as an added attraction.

The first body is that of Fenella Barker-Jones. Married to the town’s richest landowner, Fenella has a reputation for dalliances with most of the available men in the village and with some of the unavailable ones too. Suspects abound. Her murder is soon followed by that of Kevin Barry, a local handyman who has just been released from jail. The puzzle of how these deaths are connected fascinates Kate and she is soon making a list of suspects. D.I. Forrest is both worried and charmed. The mystery bounces from suspect to suspect, all with credible motives, to a surprise ending that you won’t see coming.

This delightful book is a joy to read with an excellent writing style and well described characters. I loved all the descriptions of village life from the Women’s Institute, the small shops, the cliff walks and the tourists. I can’t wait for Dee MacDonald’s next Kate Palmer mystery.

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Dee MacDonald for this ARC.

I love depiction of British village life whether it was in the past or in the present. This book typifies it most. The characters are iffy some of them, most of them are quite the average Joe but the few eccentric ones make up for it all.

When Fenella was found stabbed at a Women's Institute meeting with a dozen women in the next room waiting for refreshments, the detectives know that something is quite wrong. The killer has to be extremely bold to carry this out with so many people around. Fenella herself seems to be a character - there are a dozen wives who could be called suspects because Fenella seemed to have had no problems in spreading her charms far and wide (quite indiscriminately it seems).

There is the husband of course apart from the various wives who are suspect and several others and when Kate who discovers not just this body, but the next that turns up - Kate feels that it is upto her to uncover the reason and who the murderer is.

Balancing her personal life with a sister who seems intent on getting drunk all the time, her job as a nurse in the medical centre and sleuthing keeps Kate busy. The fact that the handsome detective in charge of the case has also got eyes for Kate helps in making this a lighter read than just murder.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for a copy of A Body in the Village Hall in exchange for an honest review. This is the first book in what looks to be an exciting new series by Dee MacDonald.

Kate Palmer, her sister Angie and their springer spaniel Barney have moved into Lavender Cottage in the Cornish town of Lower Tinworthy. The story opens on a meeting of the WI at the Village Hall where of course there is a murder. Kate as a nurse at the local Medical Centre is asked to look at the body. This ignites her inner sleuth and she starts compiling “The List” of her suspects. Who would want to kill Fenella Barker-Jones and why? Then while out walking Barney Kate happens upon the body of Kevin Barry, washed up on the beach with obvious signs of trauma.

Kate meets Detective Inspector Woody Forrest who warns her to be careful, who doesn’t think it’s safe for her to be investigating the people on “The List”. It could be anyone on the list - Maureen or Billy Grey, Kevin Berry spent time in prison for the hit and run death of their daughter. Sandra Miller who was at the WI meeting that night. Dr. Dickie Payne who has an alibi for the night of Fenella’s murder - he as out buying milk but there is no proof, no CCTV and no one saw him.

As Kate puts the pieces together will she listen to Woody and be careful or will she insist on solving this one on her own. Kate and Woody make a fun couple and hopefully there will be more of their romance in future books. Already looking forward to the next Kate Palmer adventure.