Juno Browne ("with an e") is the embodiment of the 21st-century gig economy (though she'd never refer to herself that way) with her Domestic Goddess house-cleaning service, dog-walking clients, and the antique store she inherited unexpectedly. She also has a tendency to trip over dead bodies and have trouble find her wherever she goes. In the latest, Juno tries again to rent out the space above Old Nick's to improve cash flow. Her boyfriend--who I keep expecting to find is involved in something nefarious with the way he keeps canceling trips to see--is still working to save peat bogs for the environment, so Juno keeps an eye on his house (and he really shouldn't blame her if she happens to run into some trouble whilst doing so!). Full of the charming characters we've come to know, A Devon Night's Death kept me engaged until the end.....now I want the next one!

Thanks to Allison & Busby for access to a digital ARC via NetGalley.

I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review. This had such potential, with a good plot involving a new tennant, and the nearby prison. And yet I don’t feel it was quite taken fully advantage of. The subplot about the theatre director seemed like it was going to be a bigger part - then just petered out. I’m not sure we actually found out who killed him. Overall, it feels like it had promise but didn’t quite deliver, which is a shame.

I'm always happy to catch up with Juno and her friend and always enjoy the mystery.
This one was a bit too slow at the beginning but once the mystery part started I read it as fast as I could.
The mystery is solid and the characters likeable and fleshed out.
Can't wait to read the next story.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I really enjoyed this cosy thriller, it’s the fifth book in the series which I didn’t realise until after I was accepted to preview, but it’s set in my favourite place Dartmoor so I was instantly sold. But it didn’t matter as I felt the book stood alone and you didn’t really need to know what had previously happened.

The characters are likeable, Juno has a very busy life, I wished I could fit in as much as she does and solve a mystery as well. The plot is good, it keeps you page turning and kept me guessing what was Frank up to, you just knew “if something is too good to be true it probably is”.

I will definitely be going back and reading the previous books as this was a lovely cosy read. I’d like to know what happened in Juno’s previous adventures.

Thank you Net Galley and the publishers for letting me have a preview I thoroughly enjoyed this.

Town Shenanigans…
The fifth in the Devon Mystery series featuring Juno Browne, accidental antique shop owner and sometime amateur sleuth (also dog walker and domestic goddess) finds Juno with a new tenant at the shop. With his mysterious comings and goings, Frank Tinkler may not be at all what he seems. In between amateur dramatics and town shenanigans, Juno is convinced misdoings are afoot. Enjoyable and entertaining, this is another slow burn mystery which provides some perfect relaxation in the company of a likeable protagonist and a colourful cast of characters. A worthy addition to the series.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Allison & Busby for an advance copy of A Devon Night’s Death, the fifth novel to feature amateur sleuth Juno Browne, set in Ashburton, Devon.

Juno’s antique shop is struggling for cash, so she is delighted when book restorer Frank Tinkler asks to rent a room above the shop. Frank moves his business in with the help of his nephew, Scott, but Juno’s investigative juices flow when she recognises Scott as the friend of a man who robbed her boyfriend’s property and has now turned up dead.

This is the first novel in the series that I have read, so I didn’t get some of the references to Juno’s previous adventures. Despite this it works well as a stand-alone, having a self contained plot with the hint of a thread if the author chooses to pursue it.

The plot is well done with a series of incidents that culminates in Juno getting involved in a fight and big changes in her personal life. I must admit that I didn’t find the novel particularly engrossing, exciting or tense, but I think that is the nature of the cosy format - a series of incidents and events that the nosy amateur solves before the police with a side dish of personal strife. It is a good example of the genre (with a bit more bad language than I expected) but I prefer a bit more. More what? I’m not sure, but I think emotional involvement.

I read it to the end and I appreciate what it is, but it didn’t appeal to me.

I appreciate that this series bridges the cozy mystery and the more gritty ones. The characters are authentic in a way that adds humor and a little pathos. Already looking forward to the next one.