What a fantastic cozy debut!
An ex-cop-turned-caterer/not-so-amateur sleuth who also goes by the name 'Nosey' because she is as curious as a cat, a cozy setting (Cornwall!!), quirky characters (Daisy, Shirley, Debbie!!!) and excellent storytelling - this is my new favorite cozy series.
I loved every bit of this book. Nosey Parker is always up to something and her 'antics' will have you in giggles.
Highly recommended!

Very enjoyable trip to Cornwall. Loved the vernacular. It added humor and challenges. Terrific surprising conclusion to the murder mystery. I am eager to read the next one in this new series. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley.

Jodie Parker grew up in a Cornish village where her father was a well respected police officer. Jodie did not want to live in her fathers shadow, so she joined the Metropolitan police. Now it was time to leave the Met and all the dangers and move back to Cornwall with her daughter Daisy. Jodie has always wanted to start a catering company and this was the perfect opportunity. She meets up with an old boy friend who is getting married and he employs Jodie to arrange the catering at the wedding. This is due to take place at a country house hotel in the area. Read the book to see what happens. I really enjoyed this quirky tale of murder and mayhem.

Jodie Parker and her daughter Daisy are finally back and settled in Cornish village where it is quieter and more peaceful.. After leaving the police department, she is hoping to start her own catering company doing the one thing she enjoys most, cooking. As cozy mysteries go, something happens that pushes Jodie into sleuth mode. She is hired to cater a wedding but not just any wedding. Her ex boyfriend’s wedding. But when the bride to be vanishes, Jodie sets out to find her. Will she be able to solve the mystery before the wedding is to take place, or did something ominous happen? The author has done an amazing job of developing a great plot with characters that are flawed and all too realistic. I was unsure where it was going at first but when it all comes together you get an aha moment. Definitely a 5++ star novel and I cannot wait for number 2.

Thank you to netgalley as well as the author/publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

The use of the word "cozy" and the cover had me thinking this was an American book, but it's set in Cornwall, England. If you like a "cozy" mystery then this is the book for you, it's exactly what is says it is.

Jodie left the Met Police as her daughter was getting anxious about the work she was involved in. Her new life is with her daughter back in her old home village being a caterer. Her first job is for an old school friend who is getting married, except before they can marry the bride disappears and a body is found!

Meeting the local DCI and introducing herself as ex-Met puts her on the wrong foot as he points out she's now a caterer and has no business involving herself with the case. The DCI also happens to be very dishy and maybe Jodie also has a little crush on him.

I liked the character Jodie and the way she went about digging for the truth in this story. I also loved the descriptions of Cornwall. What I didn't like was that to me it felt a little long winded and drawn out. As I said at the beginning if you like "cozy" then this is perfect for you. There is a mystery and I was clueless until the end about what had happened, but for me, it just took too long to get there.

Oh, this is not a good book. It is choppy and all over the place. I finally just gave up. I had very high hopes for it too.
2 stars

I’m always both excited and wary when starting a new cozy mystery series. With so many books being released in this genre on a monthly basis, I find I have to be pickier than usual with what I add to be To-Be-Read list. And if it’s the first book in a new series, it better grab my interest enough for me to want to keep tabs on future releases.

Imagine my delight when I read Murder on the Menu – a book that I not only read in one sitting, but a murder mystery that made me chuckle and eagerly look for the publication date of book 2.

So, why does this cozy mystery stand out? For several reasons:

The humour. Yes, this is a murder mystery, but it’s a nice, light-hearted one and absolutely had me laughing out loud at certain points in the story. Honestly, I had been in a bit of a reading slump (this was the first time I even opened a book since the year began) and even though I had only half-heartedly thought I would read for about 30 minutes, I ended up devouring this entire book in one sitting.

The British-ness of it all. I may have just been in the mood for something so obviously British. I’ve been binge-watching Midsomer Murders for the past several months (hey, it takes a while to get through 21 seasons!) and so my mind is definitely stuck in a quaint English village with DCIs and tea and fun British slang. This book just hit all the right spots for me.

The pacing. This book just zips along. The character introductions were seamless and the action moved along quite nicely. I was never bored and things kept happening at such a nice pace that I didn’t really have a pause where I wanted to put the book down and leave it “for another day”.

It’s the characters in Murder on the Menu that makes this a standout for me. All of them, from the main character, Jodie “Nosey” Parker, to her family and friends, are absolutely charming in their own individual ways.

Jodie, who earned the nickname “Nosey” as a kid, is very different from most amateur sleuths found in cozy mysteries. First off, she’s a retired cop who spent almost 20 years in London with the Metropolitan police. She’s divorced from her jerk of an ex-husband, PC Richard Doyle, and after re-training as a caterer, she moves back to her old hometown (village) with her young daughter, Daisy. Jodie’s mom, Shirley is an independent firecracker, while Jodie’s deceased father, Chief Inspector Eddie Parker, is still a legend in the village.

As we get to know a few of the villagers, including Jodie’s old school friends, Tony Penhaligon and Callum Roberts, we see the joys (and pitfalls) of living in a small village – everyone, and I mean, absolutely everyone, knows your business.

There were two mysteries to solve in this book – a murder and a disappearance (which was considered a potential murder). While I had kind of guessed most of the solution before the reveal rolled around, the book was just so darn entertaining, I found I wasn’t really trying to figure out whodunnit as aggressively as a usually do with mystery books.

And as much as I am generally not a fan of love-triangles, I think that one may be happening between Jodie, Tony and the new DCI Nathan Withers and I am there for it! I’m usually pretty quick to take one side over the the other, but this one is still too early to call. I’m looking forward to watching this romance unfold.

I have to admit that whenever I read the first book in a series, it’s always a 50-50 chance that I’ll be interested enough to look for the second book. But this is definitely one of those times when I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

*** Thank you to One More Chapter, for providing me with an advanced e-copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Jodie (Nosey) Parker moves back to Cornwall with daughter Daisy for a fresh start following the breakdown of her marriage. She is an ex-Met police officer and as part of the new beginning she starts a business ‘Banquets and Bakes’. She’s hired by ex-boyfriend Tony to cater for his impending wedding to Cheryl but after an incident at the pre-wedding party she finds herself becoming the Cornish answer to Miss Marple.

This is such a fun read in the ‘cozy murder’ genre - yes, I know nothing cosy about murder but the style of writing is lively, engaging and full of good humour. The humour varies from the laugh out loud kind to the cheesy groan but is present throughout. The trip around Cornwall is fantastic, the description of places are good and as a lover of the North Cornish coast this really resonates and is easy to picture. The frequent mentions of food such as pasties, saffron buns, clotted cream and ice cream have you salivating! The characters are really good. Jodie is extremely likeable, she’s funny, smart, loyal to friends and definitely a nosey Parker. Her mum and daughter are also good characters, there’s some great, snappy dialogue between them that makes you smile as they gently poke fun at each other. The lush DCI Withers gets under Jodie’s skin, he puts up with a lot from her and oh, he’s so handsome ...... I’m sure his more than generous accommodation of Jodie’s nosing wouldn’t happen in real life but hey, this is fiction and it adds a very good element! The plot is good, has several twists to it, it unfolds well although there’s a bit of a dip in the middle where it doesn’t go anywhere except to Boscastle!

Overall, this is an absolutely perfect read for right now. It’s a lot of fun, it’s easy to read with plenty of good humour. Oh and there’s a very, very cute dog!

Ps. Jodie - I’m not sure organic sausages and mash is exactly wedding faire, more gastropub and let’s face it, the jus is posh gravy! However, I’m sure it’s as yummy as the recipe at the end!
PPS Please sign me up for the next one!!

With thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins, Harper Fiction for the arc.

Murder on the Menu had the perfect amount of suspense and followed the classic “whodunnit” storyline. It was a delightfully written cozy mystery! 💜 3.75/5 ⭐

I loved knowing about Jodie A.K.A “Nosey” Parker. She was really funny, and her light-hearted attitude added a very calming touch to Murder on the Menu’s plotline. (As calming as mystery novels can be, lol) The twists and turns throughout the story were very captivating to read about! I tried guessing who the murderer was many times throughout the story, but boy, I was so wrong. The ending was unexpected, but bought a very satisfying conclusion to the first book in this new cozy mystery series! 💕

The secondary characters were well-written as well. The conversations between Jodie and DCI Withers were hilarious! I am really looking forward to seeing how their friendship develops in the next two books of the trilogy. Daisy and Jodie’s mom were great characters as well :’) I loved the bond that they shared with Jodie. My favorite part was definitely how realistic the entire novel was though. Issues regarding the police force, along with abuse & gaslighting were thoughtfully expressed through the story. Mystery novels tend to get a bit too far-stretched sometimes, but Murder on the Menu stayed true to the “whodunnit” plot. I'd have enjoyed this book a bit more if it was shorter though. Some chapters were a bit too descriptive for my liking, which is honestly my only complaint.

The enchanting setting of Cornwall was such a lovely bonus while reading the book as well! If you’re looking for a cozy, captivating read, definitely pick Murder on the Menu up! 😍

A great new series about an ex cop becoming a caterer. Of course Jodie stumbles across a dead body at her first event and she finds her self investigating. This is a really fun, fast paced read that keeps you guessing until the end.

This was a wonderful introduction to a new series. Having previously read one of the authors books, I couldn't wait to see what this book had to offer.

The main character, Jodie Parker, known as 'Nosey', has finally quit the Met Police and moved back home to the Cornish village she lived in as a child. Her new job? Caterer! It is a chance encounter with an old school friend that sees her suddenly catering for a massive wedding - and at very short notice too!

When the inevitable happens and murder occurs, can Jodie stop herself from investigating? Of course she can't! I loved the character of Jodie and loved both her mum and her daughter too. She truly was like a dog with a bone when she got going and she managed to discover things that even the police had missed, much to the investigating officer's chagrin (who just so happened to be quite handsome!).

I was quite shocked by the ending - I had worked out part of it but the rest of it had me sat open-mouthed. I can't wait to check out the rest of the series.

„Murder on the Menu“ is the first book in the Nosey Parker series. Nosey’s actual name is Jodie but, well, yes, she’s nosey, by nature. Recently divorced and having left her job as a sergeant in the Met Police, Jodie and her daughter return to Penstowan, where Jodie wants to start a new career as a caterer. However, already with her first catering job, things go awry – instead of wedding, there is a body in the car park and a missing bride. Jodie has promised her daughter to stay out of trouble, and she’s desperate to keep her promise, but… well… what can go wrong when she also starts to investigate? Especially as the DCI Withers is so annoying and doesn’t want to say a word about the case?

The book started absolutely promising and hilarious but then it slowed down a bit and started to drag on, feeling repetitive. In the middle part we can talk less about a natural humour as it felt a little too forced for my liking, as if the author has tried too much and it went wrong. However, altogether, I liked this book, it had a lovely setting and the comedy – error – style was so very enjoyable. I am actually already looking forward the rest of the series as it started so promising. There is some delicious food, murder or two, disappearance and lightness, a perfect recipe for a lovely cosy mystery.

The characters were so lively that I was expecting to raise my head and see them in my living room. They were well rounded and interesting and at the end I even warmed to DCI Withers – he has a soft side to him, no matter how hard he tries to hide it, so there. Jodie’s nosiness was exceptional, but she was also determined, loyal and truly funny and she really wanted to help – DCI Withers too, right? So when she finds herself needing to help her old friend, she does everything to prove his innocence, even if sometimes she annoys some of the officials. Yes, DCI Withers. I seem to mention DCI Withers often, don’t I? Oh well, there is a reason to it, believe me, mmmmmm (swooning a little). I adored the support circle around Jodie as well, all the background characters had her back and they themselves were a real joy to read about.

The writing style was very approachable and made for a quick read, flowing easily, also thanks to the witty banter but also the descriptions were really nice. The author has easily transported me into the characters’ world and to the Cornish countryside – I think she has this rare talent to showing rather than telling, hope you know what I mean! The plots intertwined seamlessly and led to a satisfying end. I liked how the author kept the mystery going, now and then adding a new body and red herrings, keeping the pace right and questioning all the characters and I really didn’t know, till the end, who did what and why. There were twists and turns and unexpected curves, especially at the end, and the way Jodie was investigating was very entertaining.

4.5 Stars! Wow! This book is AMAZING! It is witty, funny, entertaining, and cozy-mysterious...all with a touch of romance.
Whenever I picked up "Murder on the Menu", I was whisked away on an adventure with so many twists and turns that I felt like I was on a roller coaster!

This is the first book in Fiona Leitch's "A Nosey Parker Cozy Mystery Novel" series, and I so hope there will be many more! Her storytelling is simply delightful, and she truly knows how to weave a tale where all of puzzle pieces start to come together at just the right pace. Her main characters are such joys...they are full of spunk, wit, heart, and truly want to do the right thing. Also...Germaine is so adorable oh my goodness!!

Jodie is such a kindhearted, strong, intelligent, and caring woman who wants to make sure that justice is done. When she finds herself needing to help her friend prove his innocence, she never could have imagined anything that happens. She has her friends and family supporting her every step of the way, and hearing her inner monologue along the way truly helped make this cozy mystery so engaging. I felt like I was solving the case (s) right there with her.

If you enjoy cozy mysteries, I highly recommend this book! It is full of so many twists and turns that kept me guessing up until the very end...and I was SHOCKED! I hope we see many of these characters in future books in this series!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and One More Chapter for the ARC of the novel, I so enjoyed it! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This cosy mystery was a sheer delight and joy to read. In such grim times, never has there been such a strong need for light-hearted, funny but well-written novels and Murder on the Menu easily ticks all those boxes for me.
A reader can sometimes need to compromise on quality or settle for repetitive formulas in order to escape into a bright and breezy world when the days are dark and dreary and the news world over is frightening. And yet, with Jodie 'Nosey' Parker, newly arrived back in Cornwall having resigned from the Met, there is nothing but laughs, a non-threatening gristle-free murder mystery to solve and characters that you can easily befriend. Add in the Gimpmobile, a faithful dog and a recipe at the end and you have something that is a little like the Joanna Fluke books (but better, minus a cat and based in the UK).
I always loved MC Beaton's Agatha Raisin series. The books were all very similar but there was something so incredibly endearing and addictive about them that I used to long for the next one and feel quite disappointed when I picked up a book from the series only to discover I had read it already. I predict that this Nosey Parker series is going to have the same effect on me.
I usually save 5 stars for longer reads which play havoc with my emotions, and even as a lover of lighter reads and romances, I tend to only give the books 4 stars even when I have really enjoyed reading them, possibly because there are so many contenders in the genre, I don't know. And yet, in my bizarre only-I-can-understand-it rating system I cannot do anything but give the highest rating to Fiona Leitch's first in the series cosy mystery because it is perky, upbeat and like a tube of those terrible crisps that, once the lid is popped, you just cant stop!
Everything begins when Jodie comes back to Cornwall with 12 year old daughter Daisy but minus her philandering ex-husband Richard. She is hoping to have her catering business Banquets and Bakes up and running as soon as possible in her home town by the sea, Penstowan. First of all she needs to buy a sofa and by entering old-fashioned department store Penhaligons, her re-introduction to her roots brings her slap-bang into contact with old schoolfriends, hastily followed by the need to solve a crime that takes place at nearby Parkview Manor Hotel, just days later.
The characters are engaging, the good luck card and internal dialogue really had me laughing and the relationship between ex police officer of lowly rank Jodie turned chef, and new kid on the block DCI Nathan Withers, is full of a cynicism, masking what is surely burgeoning into a romance. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out who-dunnit in this gentle tale and look forward immensely to more books in the series. I doubt my appetite will wane!
Find some bookish happiness and join amateur-ish sleuth Jodie Parker as she sticks her nose in everywhere, getting in the way of the real detectives, but always one step ahead and very keen to save the day!
My thanks go to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read Murder on the Menu in exchange for this honest review.

I enjoyed this first Nosey Parker Mystery. Jodie is a former police inspector. When her daughter Daisy asks her to stop putting herself in danger, Jodie leaves the metropolitan police. As the book opens, they have moved to Jodie’s hometown in Cornwall. Jodie is going to open a catering business. Her first job is to provide the wedding dinner for her childhood friend Tony’s wedding. Tony’s fiancé Cheryl disappears the night before the wedding and Tony’s ex-wife turns up dead the morning of the wedding.
Enter DCI Withers. He is hot and a bit cocky in his approach to the investigation. Jodie gets involved because she’s doesn’t believe Tony would kill anyone. Jodie gets in the way throughout the investigation.
I really like a main character that has police experience and training. There wasn’t really any cooking in this story as the wedding dinner was never made and Jodie put off advertising her business to investigate. I suspect her life might be headed in a different direction in future books.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book prior to publication.I

Cosy was the right word to describe this book. It was a crime novel, with murder and police investigation, but it was more like a gentle TV drama to become engrossed in. Shades of chick lit and plenty will they/won't they with Jodie and the two main male protagonists. Jodie "Nosey" Parker grew up in Cornwall where her dad was the senior police officer, loved and respected by everyone. When she joined the police she went off to London to the Met to make her own way. She's now left the police and returned to Cornwall with her twelve year old daughter where she sets up a catering business. Great family relationships with Jodie, her mum and her daughter - you really get the relaxed feel of life in Cornwall. Good looking DCI WIthers in charge of the murder investigation that Jodie finds herself in the centre of is at times exasperated, at others amused, by Jodie, and I look forward to seeing the relationship develop. I wonder if she will end up back in the police or set up as an investigator. She clearly loves the challenge. A really good, enjoyable read. #netgalley #murderonthemenu

For me, a rare 5 ⭐️ cozy mystery read, I loved this book! It was quite surprising as I had relegated it to the back of the queue a few times, had low expectations, but was my instinct WRONG! As soon as I started it, I loved it. It had everything I like in a book, enjoyable, believable characters, a lovely setting and a great sense of humour, I literally laughed out loud many times. I debated on the star rating tbh but in the end, it was exactly what I needed after a very dark read so it deserves it’s stars. I think this is the best cozy I have read!

Jodie has returned to her home town, a Cornish village, with her 12 year old daughter, leaving behind her job as a police officer in London and her cheating ex-husband. She returns to her hilarious Mom, and starts a new job running a catering service using her new van, the gimpmobile (I can’t 😂) and lands unexpectedly into her first gig, catering her old friend Tony’s wedding. As with all cozy's, a murder soon falls in her lap and add in a missing person, the gorgeous DCI Withers and her previous police experience, and suddenly she is living up to her old nickname, Nosey Parker, (which was something said in my house growing up so many times, I loved the throwback) and we’re off to a great story! Did I mention the adorable dog, Germaine?

I LOVED the characters and the mystery really kept me going! A nice amount of action and tropey potential bad guys. The story also had you questioning if you really still know your old friends as well as you think you do, do people stay the same? There was actual character development in this which was refreshing! And the other characters in the book were fleshed out nicely and actually seemed like real people, not flat props. And the humour, loved it! Super fun to read and engaging and I did most definitely chuckle out loud many times. I really enjoyed the British lingo and the food references, had to look up what a pasty was as well as a few other terms and enjoyed that as well, although it made me hungry! Speaking of which, there was a yummy recipe at the end as well!

I am eagerly awaiting the rest of this series as it comes out, looks like one each month for the near future which is exciting! I would absolutely watch this on tv (as long as it’s filmed in Britain), very engaging! I would +++ recommend you have a look and see if murder is on your menu! 🍰 🔪

**Thanks to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy, this title publishes on January 15th**

Jodie Parker, ex-cop, has returned home to start over as a caterer. Somehow, she stumbles into murder.

I very much enjoyed Murder on the Menu. Leitch’s characterization was fun, with a thread of wry humor to lighten the story – happily, without overwhelming the suspense and drama of the actual murder investigation. The choice of Jodie as a not-so-amateur sleuth is intriguing. She’s sympathetic, and has experience as a cop, though not a detective, but that’s not her role anymore. It does affect how she sees the scenes, evidence and various interviews with potential suspects, as well as how she interacts with the local police department – as does the fact that her father was a local policeman until his death right before he retired. Her familiarity with the area and the various characters, and the resources that her mother provides (gossip!) are helpful aspects. There is a budding romance between Jodie and the local DCI, which I was rooting for by the end of the book, but their interactions are mostly about the murder investigation. I thought the murder plot itself worked well, with a believable non-official investigation with some humorous moments and some help from various people in the village. As a first book in a new series it’s a good opening. That said, there really isn’t a lot of catering in this particular story – though it’s not for lack of Jodie’s desire to get her business off the ground, and I can see it growing as a facet of future stories in the series. Leitch has produced a very readable, enjoyable mystery with a lot of promise. I’m going to be keeping my eye out for future ‘Nosey Parker’ mysteries.

Murder on the Menu is the first book in The Nosey Parker Mysteries series by Fiona Leitch. It is a cosy mystery that contains mild profanity, peril and is written in British English. The story follows the journey of Jodie ‘Nosey’ Parker after she moves back to the Cornish village that she grew up in.


I found this to be an absolutely brilliant book that was hilarious, mysterious and intriguing. I loved all of the characters because they were well crafted, interesting and funny. I like the fact that even the characters with smaller roles had big personalities because I found that it added more entertainment to the story. Jodie was an amazing, hilarious, sassy and entertaining character that I loved so much. And oh my gosh don’t even get me started on the dishy, swoon worthy DCI Withers because I could go on forever about him.

This was the first book by Fiona Leitch that I have read and I look forward to reading the next book in the series. I recommend this to anyone who loves cozy mysteries with hilarious characters that will keep you entertained from the very beginning.

I recieved an advanced copy for free, and this is my honest opinion.

A good fun read, felt like a holiday read if we were able to go on one. I would read more from this author, an escape in a time when real life is just a bit much.