This is the fourth book in the ‘Nosey Parker’ series but can easily be read as a standalone.

Jodie ‘Nosey’ Parker served in the Met Police but when she finally gave up on her horrible husband, she returned to the Cornish village in which she’d been born and bred, taking her daughter, Daisy, with her. Jodie also decided on a career change and had always loved baking, so she did a college course with the intention of setting up a catering company.

In the approach to Christmas, Jodie is catering for an event at a 13th century abbey. Unfortunately, the weather gets worse, and they find themselves snowed in for the night. The bad weather means they can’t get hold of anyone, even Jodie’s boyfriend, DCI Nathan Withers, and then a body is found.

A real ‘cosy murder’ with lots of fun as well as twists and turns.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, and One More Chapter for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, Fiona Leitch and HarperCollins UK, for the copy of A Cornish Christmas Murder. This is my personal review.
Jodie ‘Nosey’ Parker is back again. I am enjoying this series so much.
This time we find Nosey and her catering team, guests and a murderer trapped due to a huge snowstorm in a Manor House in the country where they had catered an event. Toss in the fact in is Christmas and there is so much going on with Nosey and her team trying to solve the mystery.
This is a story you don’t want to miss. It is as good as all the other books in the series. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

I've never been to Cornwall but it's on my bucket list, and that's one of the reasons I was attracted to this book. I'm also a cozy mystery addict, and we're approaching the Christmas season, so how could I not read this one?

I wanted to like it.

In the beginning I was afraid it was going to be a takeoff on Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None , but the plot developed differently and I was glad of that.

The story is sort of believable, and a pleasant enough read. I had a hard time accepting the idea that a caterer would bring not only her mother and daughter along on a job, but also her dog. Um... why? He wasn't exactly RinTinTin or Lassie, solving the crime for them. There were enough red herrings to keep me guessing, and the ending surprised me. But really, enough with the main character's lust/love for her man. I get it, really I do, I just don't want to read about it. It's distracting.

I had two other issues with the book.

Issue 1: I understand that different parts of the world have different speech patterns, and when I'm reading a book set somewhere with a particular accent I actually enjoy it when the author writes that way. But apparently, the Cornish speech pattern consists of one difference - replacing the contraction "isn't it" with "innit". Okay, I hear that often in the southern US. But that's it? No other Cornish expressions/dialect to share? ("Oi" does not count, to my mind.)

Issue 2: The author (and her editors) apparently lack any firm knowledge of when to use the Objective vs. Nominative cases. It was dreadful. It makes me cringe when I read "with her and I" or other such abominations. When I encountered the first one, I thought okay, everyone's allowed a mistake here and there. Unfortunately it was not here and there, it was everywhere. Sad. There's just no excuse for that.

I still want to visit Cornwall, but I won't be reading any future offerings by Ms. Leitch.

Thank you to NetGalley, Fiona Leitch, and Harper Collins UK for an ARC of this book.

It’s three days before Christmas, and detective-turned-chef Jodie ‘Nosey’ Parker is drafted in to cater for a children’s charity event run by a notorious millionaire at a 13th-century abbey on Bodmin Moor.
Things get more complicated when a snowstorm descends, stranding them all, and the next morning they find one of the guests has been gruesomely murdered in their bed. The phone lines are down & the police are having difficulty getting through so Jodie starts to investigate.
This is the fourth outing for Jodie & another well written cosy mystery. I love Jodie & her family & friends, her mum Shirley is hilarious, daughter Daisy is growing up & of course her relationship with Nathan is deepening. I found myself engrossed in the book & totally caught up in the twists & turns, the suspects are limited but as secrets & past histories are revealed no one is ruled out. The setting of an old manor house is also intriguing as there are secret passages which all add to the story & add a lovely twist. An engrossing read, which I read in two sittings.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

This was an enjoyable Christmas mystery set in a Cornish country inn, formerly an abbey. Sleuth Jodie Parker, Chef, is one step ahead of most amateur sleuths, in that her previous occupation had been as a metropolitan police officer, and the appearance of a dead body among the cast of characters stranded at the inn during a snow storm puts her in high gear. This traditional mystery, kind of like a Father Brown episode, with funny interactions with her teenage daughter and unfiltered mother, needs to be in print. Only available as a Kindle book right now, from what I can see.

Enjoyable Christmas mystery! Great combination of cheesy holiday story and actually engaging mystery story. Very enjoyable for the holidays.

I didn't finish this book as I realized while reading it that it's the fourth in a series. While I could've continued on, there were many references to earlier books in the few chapters I read and I wasn't interested in picking up the first three just to understand this one. Netgalley should have a way of indicating when a book is part of a series.

This book ticks all the boxes for a cozy Christmas murder mystery. It starts with a Christmas party at a fancy old house. A snow storm traps an odd cast of characters and forces them to spend the night. When they awake, one of them is dead and very likely one of them is the murderer. Luckily the chef is an ex-cop and she, along with her daughter and mother tries to figure out what happened before the police can make it through the snow and take over. Honestly, the house was the best character with its old rooms and secret passages. I liked the characters and the mystery was interesting. I didn’t love the writing style. The main character overly explained everything and it took longer to get into because the story kept getting interrupted by detailed backstories. There were also a couple of times where characters were made fun of for being fat – maybe it was supposed to be funny, but it wasn’t. If you enjoy cozy mysteries, you will probably enjoy this book. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

A comical cast of characters feature in Fiona Leitch’s A Cornish Christmas Murder. The protagonist, known as “Nosey” Parker (Jodie), along with her sidekicks: Daisy, her daughter; Debbie, her friend; Shirley, her mum; and Gremaine, her pooch, cater a Christmas event.

Jodie, formerly law enforcement, finds herself in a tricky situation while catering for an event at the request of her school friend, Lilly. As a snow storm descends on the festivities, all of the characters must bunker down at the hotel. Unfortunately for Steve who is hired to play Santa Claus, he dies under what can only be described as mysterious circumstances which appear to be suspicious and indicate foul play. Jodie—along with her crew of amateur detectives—attempt to solve this mystery.

This cosy, Christmas mystery is humorous and touching as several of Leitch’s main characters grapple with and confront their complicated and—at times—tumultuous relationships with their fathers. Some struggle with turning negative experiences into positive ones, which would better inform their current courses of action. Some, however, make better decisions, such as seeking better role models to serve as father figures, an insightful, emotionally-charged and bold move to demonstrate the impacts of father-child relationships—or lack thereof. Leitch doesn’t avoid writing male characters coming to terms with strong emotions and exposing their vulnerabilities, an aspect that I appreciated.

This isolated murder mystery was playful at times and reminded me of a PG 13 version of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum’s series. So, if you’re looking for something to read with a cup of hot chocolate, warm blanket and low lighting provided by candles or if you’re fortunate, a fireplace, may I please suggest Leitch’s A Cornish Christmas Murder?

Many thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK and One More Chapter for allowing me to read an ARC of this festive gem!

I like my dead bodies up front and center when I read a cozy and this one didn't come until almost a third of the way. When the title has the word Christmas in it I expect to have all the Christmas frivolities and festivities included and, other than the entire story taking place right after a children's Christmas party, they were non-existent. And the way the murder happened - quite questionable in my opinion. But, I did very much enjoy the main group of characters and believe I will look into the first in this series to revisit them and there was a lot of really great humor that I found very enjoyable.

Another brilliant book by Fiona, Just love the characters and the story lines. Looking forward to the next one.

This was a fast-paced and exciting Christmas mystery novel. The writing was fun and easy to follow and the mystery was done well and not too convoluted or silly. I liked how the whole of Jodie's character got involved in solving the crime and they were all written well. Jodie is the perfect character to follow as she's not police or pure civilian and her being able to solve a crime is highly plausible. I would definitely pick up more in this series as this was such a fun book to read and i loved following Jodie solving this crime.

This was such an enjoyable read! The manor was a fantastic setting, and really added to the story. I thought Jodie was great and having her be a former cop gave her experience & authority to draw on. I love locked room mysteries and Christmas, so this was a wonderful combination. There's also a good dose of humour, which made me laugh at inappropriate times - I think I'll stay away from kebabs for a while!

Set in a blizzard scenario in Cornwall, this light mystery is a breezy read. Jodie is a former police officer who now caters to a different clientele. After cooking up a storm for a special party, a blizzard engulfs the huge mansion she is staying at along with several other guests. As the night goes on the number swell as unexpected guests blow in. Murder, of course, is the order of the day and Jodie draws from her background to follow proper procedures.

The beautiful cover drew me in but the story itself was different than I expected somehow...almost a rom-com vibe which is not my thing (just a personal preference). Most characters are one dimensional and do not add any tension or suspense as they are not really afraid, more curious than anything. Jodie's maternal love for her daughter is a beautiful thing and I think this really adds to the book as a whole. I really enjoyed some of the clever witticisms. Wish there had been more of a Christmas-y atmosphere!

My sincere thank you to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this light book, particularly suited to this white wintry day.

2.5/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was basically an episode of Murder, she wrote. Speaking of which, a question for you people: how comes no one ever suspects that the cute ever-present, never minding her business lady is actually some kind of serial killer? Not a spoiler, I swear, just curious. As an investigator, that would be my first thought.

BTW, now to the book! This one was a very fast, entertaining read. The characters are a bit flat, but in this case, I didn't mind. I am usually all for proper character development, but I read this book after finishing some pretty challenging novels, and this was exactly what I needed: something light and uncomplicated to just relax and have a good time.

On the other hand, I was disappointed this book didn't focus enough on the mystery. I still have a feeling I know very little about the crime and how it got solved.

One last thing: this one is totally on me, but I didn't get that this is the fourth book in a series. So yeah, just a general warning to make sure you read the rest of the series before: I understood it way too late to go back.

Enjoyable modern murder mystery!
Funny, entertaining, great characters, keeps you guessing for a while.
Jodie has been hired to cater for a children's Christmas party in Cornwall, and has roped in her best friend Debbie, her mum, daughter and dog to help.
As the party draws to an end the snow has closed the roads, no-one is leaving tonight!
Great read! Easy to imagine players!
Thanks for the early read NetGalley

I absolutely adored this book! A Cornish Christmas Murder started out a little confusing. It had a hard time determining who the narrator was and the relationships of all of the parties (because I have not read all of the previous books in the series), but once I got it straightened out in my brain I fell into the story and couldn't stop reading. The setting was perfect and I hope to re-read it again on a snowy winter day, just wishing I could be in the Cornish countryside (sans-murder, obviously). I loved the locked-in mystery setting, especially with all of the personalities involved.

5/5 Stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love the Jodie Parker series for the lovely characters, the Cornish scenery and the cosiest of cosy murders..oh and the food!!
Jodie is back this time catering for a Christmas event in a beautiful old building which is being converted into a hotel. Of course her wonderfully eccentric mother and her gorgeous daughter are with her as well as her dog, Germaine, who is a character in her own right. This time she and Nathan, the police Detective, are actually an item. As always where Jodie is about there are deaths not far away and this is no exception.
There is a lot about this to like - the wonderful cast of characters who I feel are so familiar to me now. The scene is set up well - telephone lines are down, roads are closed, snow if falling and several folk are holed up stranded. The humour and lightness of touch are still there. However, I didn’t enjoy this quite as much as the earlier novels. I think that, in part, that this was because I felt that there were a few unnecessary characters - the Japanese girls for example - who didn’t add to the plot and really these felt a little annoying and a bit silly. I also found that this felt just a bit too light ..there was after all a dead body in there and it felt a bit discordant. However, this is a light fun read with snow and Christmas and I think will give the same satisfaction as an episode of Midsummer Murders.
I really love the ingredients of these novels, I love the characters and the setting and will be looking forward to Jodie’s next outing.
With thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for a digital copy of this book.

Jodie Parker is ex met police now living in Penstowan and has her own catering company.
Her latest job is catering at a 13th Century abbey on Bodmin moor , she has got her usual array of helpers her mum , her daughter Daisy ,her friend Debbie and the dog Germaine. The weather is wintry and perfect for a spot of murder!
I love this series they are an easy , enjoyable read and wrote in a way to make you feel you are catching up with old friends. The protagonist Jodie is an amiable character as are the other main characters all with their own quirks , humour runs throughout and finishes the story off perfectly.
Sit back in your favourite chair , hot chocolate at the ready and savour this perfect cozy read !
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK .

I picked this book up because it is set in Cornwall and I am a sucker for all things Cornish. It must be nostalgia for all the holidays I spent there as a child. A Cornish Christmas Murder takes place in an old house on Bodmin Moor and it has all the atmosphere of the place that I could wish for.

The action takes place when a number of unrelated people become stranded in the house during a very heavy snow storm. The roads are impassable, the phones unreliable and of course someone is murdered! Jodie Parker and her team of caterers are there to attempt some sleuthing while they wait for the police to be able to arrive.

I enjoyed Jodie's character very much and thought it was a good idea on the author's part to make her an ex police woman. This background made her more reliable in her investigations than the usual MC in this type of cosy, plus her boyfriend, Nathan, is a Detective Inspector who is happy to involve her in his cases.

Good characters, nicely written and an excellent recipe at the end for mince pies! This was my first book by this author and it will not be my last.