A very long read. This installment in Kitt Hartley mysteries turned out to be a melted toffee: thick, guey and stretchy.
I love cozy mysteries. I love book series. But this particular read too a lot of time and effort.
Unless you are fan of Kitt Hartley, I would not recommend this one.

Another fantastic installment of Kitt Harley, I enjoyed reading this, it had me gripped from the start. I look forward to reading more

Kitt Hartley is back in this fourth instalment of the series by Helen Cox. In Death Awaits in Durham whilst visiting ex-colleague Grace, librarian and PI trained Kitt learns that murder was possibly committed a year ago but is still, as yet, unsolved. Grace started studying at the Venerable Bede's Vocational Academy and four months into a mechanics course, Jodie Perkins disappeared. Jodie had called a live radio show and was about to make an announcement on air when listeners heard her scream. Jodie has never been seen since, nor was her body ever found...

Death Awaits in Durham kept me on my toes throughout as I devoured each chapter. I adored being in the company of Kitt again who is smart and funny. Kitt's boyfriend, DI Mal Halloran is on the periphery of Kitt's investigation but he has to work in York so Kitt and a very keen Grace are on their own with Kitt putting to good use the newly acquired skills she's learned on the private investigator course she has recently completed. With a handy supply of colourful supporting characters, the mystery itself was sound and there was always something going on to keep my attention focused. The clues, twists and red herrings were cleverly placed and with nothing as it seemed, the story was super exciting. This has left me wanting to read the first two books of the series, as well as eagerly anticipating the next instalment.

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

Death Awaits in Durham is an entertaining read, and somewhat grittier than your average "cosy" mystery.
Librarian-sleuth Kitt Hartley is called from York to Durham by her former student, Grace Edwards, who has just commenced her own postgraduate study at Kitt's alma mater, the prestigious Venerable Bede Vocational Academy. The enthusiastic Grace has become aware of an unsolved missing persons case involving a student, which she thinks would be perfect for Kitt's attention, what with her newly-acquired P.I. qualification.
Kitt and Grace start looking into the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of scholarship student Jodie Perkins a year earlier, ruffling the feathers of the powers-that-be at Vulnerable Bede. They're assisted by Jodie's boyfriend and fellow student, Patrick Howard, who's been devastated by Jodie's sudden vanishing, just as she was about to expose an important secret on Durham's student radio station.
On their way to uncovering the truth, Kitt and Grace take several risks in trailing and attempting to interrogate various suspects. Grace's none-too-subtle antics and teasing of the older and more staid Kitt bring many moments of levity to the narrative.
I found Helen Cox's characters endearing and suitably sinister, as the case may be, but felt that some of the dialogue was a little unconvincing, reading more like written than spoken communication. However, once I'd gotten into the "vibe" of the book, I found it an engaging and undemanding read. Cox's use of setting - the university town of Durham, in the north-east of England - was excellent, and skilfully interwoven into the mystery plot.
Death Awaits in Durham is an enjoyable read, and I would recommend it to readers who like a little darkness in amongst the cosiness.
My thanks to the author, Helen Cox, publisher Quercus Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.

This book was enjoyable to read. It was humorous in places and also suspenseful. It captured my attention in the first few pages . I highly recommend this book to other cozy mystery readers.

This is the fourth installment in this series but can be read as a stand alone.

I have read the previous 3 books in this series and highly rate them. The characters and dynamics work wonderfully and I enjoy the back stories as well as the main.

I highly recommend this book and series to all, its a real cosy treat.

I loved this book!
I hadn't read any books by Helen before but she had been recommended to me a few times, and it didn't disappoint. I really enjoyed her style of writing and the fact it was the 4th book in the series didn't matter. It was a great stand alone book but the rest are on my to read list now for sure.
It was really enjoyable mystery book with some great twists but a well flowing story and a joy to read!

Death Awaits in Durham is the fourth instalment in The Kitt Hartley Yorkshire Mysteries series and is a cosy crime thriller set in and around Durham, England. It isn't necessary to have read the preceding three books before this as each of the stories are self-contained and enough backstory is provided to bring new readers up to speed. Ex-librarian and amateur sleuth Kitt is back on the investigative trail after going to visit ex-assistant Grace Edwards who is attending Venerable Bede Vocational Academy in the picture-postcard city of Durham in the North East of England. When she learns about the unsolved "cool" case of student Jodie Perkins, she discovers the very public nature in which she was last heard — taking part in a student broadcast via radio the last those listening heard was a terrifying scream and Jodie was never seen again. Now time has passed, a year according to her devastated fiance, with most believing she was brutally murdered... can Kitt and Grace discover the evidence needed to bring closure to the Perkins family or is the case destined to remain unsolved?

This is a superb cosy mystery with more bite and grit than usual but still maintaining the cosy feeling and despite Durham being a city, it is very much reminiscent of a small town. It's simply the perfect book to escape from the troubles of the world and inhabit someone else's even for a few hours. Kitt is a great character who is a force for good and she illustrates just how much of an effective sleuthing brain she has too. As Kitt and her sleuthing sidekicks become ever more involved in investigating they are soon discovering huge secrets and revelations regarding Jodie's untimely disappearance. This is a fun, fast-paced, easy read with an enjoyable and entertaining plot, humour and plenty of twists and surprises; Cox is one of the most accomplished cosy authors writing in the genre today, so if you enjoy taut plotting, stunning scenery and a cast of quirky characters, this is a must-read series. A charming and simply delightful tale. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Quercus for an ARC.

This is the fourth book in the series, but the first that I have read.

In these dark winter days, I needed something light and fun to brighten up my evenings. This short book fit the bill well and I found it very enjoyable.

Grace is Kitt's former assistant at York University library, recently moved to Durham where she stumbles across a mystery. I wasn't particularly impressed by the characterisation and the writing is run of the mill, but a fairly strong plot lifted this above other books in its genre for me. However, the story did start to become more and more outlandish in the final quarter of the book, to the extent that I wondered whether the writer was making it up as she went along. I would also have liked to have seen more of Durham - a beautiful city which really should have been one of the main characters in the book. Description was somewhat lacking.

As with a lot of cosy mysteries, the police are not portrayed in a positive light (despite Kitt's relationship) and seem to be a bunch of dunces who are easily outsmarted by a university librarian.

Regardless of the above comments, I enjoyed the book which was a quick and untaxing read. The only thing I would say is don't start here if you want to read the first three books - there are too many minor spoilers.

When librarian and budding private investigator Kitt Hartley visits her ex-assistant Grace Edwards in Durham, she soon learns of an unsolved murder. A year ago Jodie Perkins, a Mechanics student, disappeared after her student-radio broadcast was cut short with a deafening scream. The police suspect Jodie was murdered although her body was never found. Keen to be on the front line of one of Kitt's investigations, Grace convinces Kit to use her recent private investigator training to solve the mystery.
This is the fourth book in the series & is easily read on its own. As I live in Durham this was ideal for me as I could visualise the places & loved the author’s descriptions. Strong characters with depth added to my enjoyment. I have grown to really like Kitt. The story flowed very well, there were plenty of twists & turns that kept me guessing, I’m loving these cosy mysteries set in the North of England & eagerly await more
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Fourth in the series but you can read as a standalone. You will probably want to read the others though as this is a strong read and a lot of fun. An old fashioned mystery , cosy crime and a woman hell bent on getting to the truth. Some great and memorable characters here. What a lovely place Durham is - both in real life and in the book. If you;ve been there, you can clearly picture it, and if not, you will want to go.

An Unsolved Crime....
The fourth book in the Kitt Hartley Yorkshire Mystery series finds Kitt stumbling across an unsolved crime. -what the police believe was a potential murder but the body has never been discovered. Can Kitt and her former assistant, Grace, solve the mystery? Enjoyable cosy mystery with likeable protagonists and a colourful cast of supporting characters. Entertaining escapism.

I am a reader from Sunderland and it was a pleasure to read, so familiar are all the areas set out in this book. That I often visit.
Grace Edwards and Kitt Hartley attend the Venerable Bede Vocational Academy in Durham, this is book four but I got straight into the story straight away.
Jodie Perkins was attacked and the attacker was never caught so who's next? after been ready to speak on the radio station, Jodie after a moment pause they never saw her again, no witnesses and no evidence nothing.
it's been now one whole year and now Kitt and Grace want their turn, Kitt was trained in private investigation and solving a cold case would definitely put her on the map.
Patrick Howard was engaged to Jodie so is the first one they set out to question.
is she dead or is she alive.
questions needed answers, so what can Kitt unfold in her investigation?
I found it so easy to get into this story, this is my first read by this author, the authors research is spot on, they set out and find lost of twists and it will grip you, with added humour, a fantastic read that has left me hungry to read more in The Hartley Yorkshire Mysteries.
LOVED IT.