Definitely a cosy mystery - unpleasant murders, a good mix of quirky but realistic characters and the expected nosey lady who sleuths. At least this time she is happily married. The police are almost absent and this did seem strange although welcome in that our sleuth, Fran (and side kick on the spectrum I guess, Adam), don't stick to the rules or law or sense at times. But that's what cosy mysteries seem all about. Themed birthday party murder mystery for a group of friends (husbands/partners not invited). Fran does the catering, overhears a few odditiies, moves on. A few weeks later one of the guests dies and from then on others dies, they all have secrets that are very like those of the characters they had to play at the party although there are always, rather neat, twists. Adam, son of birthday girl, is worried that mother will be a suspect. He and Fran join up to think, explore, do dangerous things etc etc. It rapidly became clear that the deaths were murdered so I did wonder what the heck the police were doing. Glad they didn't appear to be doing much as the usual sleuth annoying the detective is definitely getting stale. I put them down to beavering away in the background. So, overall an intriguing and well-written story. We'll see how the two characters develop. Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle by Bookouture and #NetGalley for my honest opinion. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

A lovely new cozy mystery series. I look forward to reading more with these charming characters.

I thoroughly enjoyed this expertly plotted cosy mystery. The two main players, Fran and Adam, make for an interesting and unusual pairing and it was a joy to follow their adventures. I was hooked from start to finish by the fast-moving mix of action, interviews and clue solving and certainly didn’t guess the killer. Looking forward to the next in the series!

Wow what a book. I am still sat thinking about this book even though I finished it a few days ago. I cannot write a review to do this book justice. I was hooked from the first page. The writing is superb and enthralling and overall, I just loved this book.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I have read a few books by this author and have to confess this is the best so far, great storyline, great characters and even better looks like it could be the start of a new series, happy days

Rating: 4.2/5

This is the most enjoyable cosy mystery that I have read in a while. It is a heavily populated genre and, unfortunately, many of the books that make it into print are pretty mediocre parodies of themselves - often more a case of cheesy mysteries rather than cosy mysteries. I am pleased to say that no such criticism applies here.

Yes, "Death in Disguise" contains the core elements that fans of the genre would expect from a cosy mystery: We have the amateur detective (Francesca Eve) from a small community (rural Shropshire) with a very normal day job (a party caterer) that brings her into contact with other members of local society; an absence of graphic violence and profane language; and, of course, more than a sprinkling of light-hearted humour. But I am delighted to say that this novel offers much more than that. There is a sound mystery adventure at the heart of the story. It is a "whodunnit" in the traditional style, but the plot has a proper structure that has been robustly put together and bears fictional scrutiny. As Fran's cohort in this novel, Adam Smith, states, "people ... don't want something which is unrealistic or has loopholes or plot narratives that don't hang together ... Puzzlers like puzzles, and they can spot one that doesn't work a mile away." Author, Emma Davies, is true to her character's words and has delivered an enjoyable and rounded cosy mystery.

If you enjoy the likes of Richard Osman's "Thursday Murder Club", then this book is almost certainly going to appeal to you. Although I would venture to say that this is a better example of the genre than Mr Osman's offering. I am very glad that I have picked up on this "Adam & Eve" series from the outset and I will certainly be returning for book two.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.