An English Garden Murder was an absolute breath of fresh air for me and just what I needed to read. With all the crazy things going on in the world at the moment, this book was just the medicine I needed! Cosy Crime is becoming my favourite genre of book to read at the moment, nothing too gruesome that will keep you up late at night and this ticked all the boxes for me with a beautiful country setting and an array of interesting and some nosy characters that you would probably expect to find in a quiet village!

Julia Bird is newly divorced and newly retired as a social worker and decides to move to a cosy Cotswold town near her best friend Tabatha. Fully expecting to be bored with time on her hands, she decides to embrace country life which involves buying some chickens and a naughty guide dog in training, Jake. Little does she realise that country life is not as quiet as she was expecting!

When a dead body is discovered underneath her shed and with time on her hands, she is determined to investigate. I really warmed to Julia and especially Jake, her errant puppy and loved the village life. Nothing is a secret for long which is a big change for Julia having lived in a bustling city for so long.

Along with Julia, I found myself changing my mind about how things would turn out and still managed to be pleasantly surprised with the end conclusion. I'm really looking forward to the next installment!

In this book, newly single Julia Bird has left London to start a new life in Berrywick after retirement. Not much information is given about Julia’s mysterious past and why she left her job as a social worker, but I am hoping that the author expands a little on this back story in the upcoming books in this series. There seems to be a hint of a story there, but the author decided not to give too much away in this book.

I really enjoyed reading this book and thought that the author did a great job of setting the scene of a small village and village life. I felt the ending was a little rushed, but overall this was a great quick read.

4.5 Stars
Julia Bird has recently divorced & retired, she's also left London for a fresh start in the picturesque Cotswolds village of Berrywick, and her little cottage is everything she’d hoped for. But when she tears down the old garden shed to make way for a chicken coop, she unearths much more than she’d bargained for the body of a young woman, apparently buried for decades, thrusting Julia into a baffling mystery. DI Hayley Gibson is on the case in Berrywick, but Julia decides to lend a hand, taking her wayward puppy Jake along for the ride. Soon, Julia is convinced she has discovered the killer’s identity, until Jake, a true Labrador, finds a new love of the local lake’s waterfowl and instead ends up catching her chief suspect - drowned.
A new start for Julia & a new series, which I found myself drawn into from the start, a delightful mix of humour & mystery. The characters have depth & are well portrayed & above all believable. I really liked Julia coping on her own after over thirty years of marriage when her husband falls for the landscape gardener. We meet many of the villagers & whilst some of the book was scene setting it wasn’t laboured. She even gets an unruly pup, Jake an absolutely adorable chocolate Labrador who didn’t make the grade for training as a guide dog. It also means that dog walking helps her meet & befriend villagers. A very good series starter & I look forward to more in the series
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

4 Stars

One Liner: Entertaining!

Julia Bird moves to a Cotswolds cottage in a small English town after her recent divorce and retirement. She feels a bit lost, not knowing what to do with her sudden free time. Julia soon decides on a pet project (raising chickens and taking care of the beautiful garden), only to end up with a dead body on the premises.
She has no choice but to put her plans on hold until the identity of the body and the killer are found. If only it was that easy! In the meantime, Julia tries to befriend the villagers, adopts Jake, the cutest Lab in the size of a small bear, and begins to get used to country life. But when she stumbles upon another body, she decides it’s time to do her own investigation.
Can Julia find the killer and prevent more dead bodies from creating feverish excitement in the little village?

My Observations:

• The book begins on a quirky note tinged with humor and sadness. The lighthearted tone continues through the rest of the book (a trademark of good cozy mystery).
• Jake is super adorable. Though I’m sure I can’t handle a pup like him, I love his antics in the book. Such a sweetheart!
• Being the first book in the series, the characters are revealed over time. This also means I continued to assess the information longer than I liked. Not a complaint, though.
• Julia is an interesting character and likable. She does a good job of keeping me engaged with the story. I like her teaming up with DI Hayley and look forward to reading more mysteries.
• The villagers are just as fun, even if some have been more of caricatures. Since this is the first book, I can’t dismiss character development yet.
• Little Sebastian is another cutie pie. I loved his scenes, even if he was a brat at times. That’s where the fun lies. ;)
• There is some rambling, but it doesn’t go on for more than a couple of lines. I’m almost used to it by now.
• It’s such a surprise to read that the book is authored by a duo, Katie and Gail. They have collaborated before, and it shows. No jerks in narration.
• As with every other cozy mystery set in the English countryside, we get to read about endless cups of tea. Oh, well…

To sum up, An English Garden Murder is a great start to a new cozy mystery series, and I intend to continue reading every subsequent release.
Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for the ARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

An English Garden Murder is the first book in the Julia Bird Mysteries series and it is a great start. It is a gentle cosy mystery set in the beautiful Cotswolds. It was a fun and easily readable story and I really enjoyed it. Looking forward to more in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

I do enjoy a good, old fashioned murder mystery and that's certainly what An English Garden Murder is. Even the title has that feeling of Midsomer murders or similar. I was really looking forward to getting stuck into this one and I really wasn't disappointed when I did.

There are plenty of twists and turns in this story and I have to admit that I really didn't know who was behind it all by the time we got to the big reveal at the end. I'd been barking up all kinds of wrong trees as I'm sure was the intention, as each time I was sure who was behind it all, it would all suddenly be blown out of the water and I'd be back to scratching my head over who was behind it again.

I hope that this book is going to be the start of a new series, because I really enjoyed reading about Julia Bird and the village that she's moved to. It's marked as book one, so fingers crossed book two won't be too far away.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

The small cottage in the village of Berrywick in the Cotswolds, found Julia Bird, recently from London, divorced and retired, slowly settling into her new lifestyle. She had recently acquired Jake, a chocolate Labrador puppy who had failed his Guide Dog test and was training and walking him regularly, which gave her the opportunity to meet new people. When she decided to demolish the old shed in her yard and erect a chicken coop in its place, the finding of a skeleton underneath was a dreadful shock. It was determined that the body had been there at least twenty years and with her yard now a crime scene, Julia decided to do some investigating of her own.

When a second body was discovered, then the identity of the bones established, Julia knew she needed to discover who the killer was before they struck again. But with the secrets she was unearthing, the theories she told the police DS – who had become a friend – were getting more outrageous by the minute. But Julia and Hayley knew they needed to find the killer – the residents of Berrywick were getting agitated and anxious. Would they work it out?

An English Garden Murder, first in the Julia Bird Mysteries, is my first read by Katie Gayle and won’t be my last. I’ll definitely be looking for book 2 when it comes out. I loved the small village atmosphere, the library where Tabitha ran the book club and Julia joined; Jake, originally owned by Pippa who was glad to be rid of him as he was a “bad boy”; the Buttered Scone where the village folk congregated for breakfast and gossiped happily. An English Garden Murder was an enjoyable, satisfying cozy mystery which I recommend highly.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Retirement, divorce, and moving house, are potentially three of the most stressful things which could happen to anyone. Add finding a dead body to the mix and you have Julia Bird's new normal!

Berrywick Village is now Julia's home in the country, welcoming, peaceful, and just the place for a completely new start. Her old friend, Tabitha, lives close by and is the local librarian so when the idea of building a chicken coop strikes she is able to advise Julia on who to hire and where to find them!  Johnny Blunt is recommended, lives up to his name, willingly takes the job and, although she doesn't realise it, heralds the start of Julia's problems.

This is the first in a new series and it starts off running!  Julia is a really good main protagonist and there are plenty of possibilities for future mysteries set in Berrywick, which is the epitome of a fictional English Cotswold village. I didn't work out the main mystery but there were other discoveries which were able to be solved gradually throughout which I really enjoyed.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. I loved this, it is a brilliant first book and if you are looking for a new quality cosy crime series this is definitely for you. Highly recommended.

This book really reminds me of the Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth series by M.C. Beaton. This book takes place in the Cotswolds just like Agatha Raisin and well the Cotswolds seems to be such a lovely place. I have always wanted to visit there and I love it when I can read a mystery that is set in such an idyllic place. I adore the small English village murder mystery as they seem so relatable for some reason. The small town where everyone knows their neighbors and gossip runs abound seem to always get my attention. In this book, newly single Julia Bird has left London to start a new life in Berrywick after retirement. Not much information is given about Julia’s mysterious past and why she left her job as a social worker, but I am hoping that the author expands a little on this back story in the upcoming books in this series. There seems to be a hint of a story there, but the author decided not to give too much away in this book.

Julia is new to Berrywick and quickly sets about exploring her new village. She meets some new friends and adopts a Labrador puppy. She befriends the local contractor and sets about tearing down an old shed on her property to build a chicken coop. During this process, a body is found and it appears that the body has been there for many years. No one in the town remembers anyone missing and they have no clue who could have been murdered. Julia is determined to find out who the body belongs to and why they were buried under a shed on her own property. When Julia stumbles across two more bodies during her investigation, she becomes concerned that her new idyllic village might not be as peaceful as she hoped.

I really enjoyed reading this book and thought that the author did a great job of setting the scene of a small village and village life. I felt the ending was a little rushed, but overall this was a great quick read and I am glad that I had the opportunity to read it prior to the publication date. If you love Agatha Raisin, Midsomer Murders, Hamish Macbeth, and like series, this is probably a new series you do not want to miss. Julia’s character is hard not to like and I am curious to see what trouble she finds herself in moving forward with the series and how her new life in Berrywick plays out.

Overall Rating: 4.5 stars
Author: Katie Gayle

Series: Julia Bird Mystery #1

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication Date: May 5, 2022

Pages: 262

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Get It: Amazon

Disclaimer: This book was given to me by the publisher, through NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review. I reviewed this book without compensation of any kind. All thoughts and opinions are solely mine.

What a wonderful start to a cozy mystery series! Julia is smart, savvy, recently divorced (but staying friends), and recently retired (somewhat unwillingly) to the Cotswolds. When the old garden shed is pulled down to make way for a new chicken coop, a skeleton is uncovered. With that, Julia becomes involved in trying to figure out the killer, using her social worker skills and contacts to help move the investigation along. More murders follow, and that's not all Julia has on her plate. A new rambunctious dog ("between them like a cheerful brown velvet chaperone with poor impulse control"), a part-time volunteer gig at the charity shop, and settling into village life give Julia plenty to do.

The characters here feel well-developed. And although a cozy mystery plot never relies on believability, it's nice that Julia has a set of real-world skills that transfer well to dealing with people and digging into things. This has relatable characters, some amusing humor, and a sad story at the heart of it. Can't wait to read the next one in the series!

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book very much. Who knew putting up a chicken coop could be complicated, or lead to such intrigue. I completely surprised by who the killer was. I love a mystery that I don't figure out who the culprit was before the end.

Oh my, I loved Julia Bird from the first page of Katie Gayle’s “An English Garden Murder”, she is a delight! She has relocated to start a new chapter of her life, single and retired. Creating an outdoor space tailored to her, Julia finds a body! It’s a cold case and not the focus for the local police force so Julia finds her social worker senses tingling! With nothing else on her schedule, she starts exploring the village and the mystery on her own!

On her travels around the village she keeps meeting the most adorable Labrador. Having had one of these as a child, I commend Katie Gayle on capturing so beautifully the joy, frustration and hilarity that ensues when one is in the family. (Spoiler alert for dog lovers: Jake is fine throughout the book!).

I loved the mystery, a good rambling, twisty one, but I always look forward to the giggles and shenanigans that Katie Gayle allow their characters to get up to, the village is full of interesting people. Well thought out and beautifully written, I can’t wait for the next one! Please don’t let it be long! It’s a five out of five on the enJOYment scale and highly recommended!

This looks like being a brilliant new series for cosy crime lovers. Cosy village crime is a crowded market and it really succeeds or not on the strength of its main characters. Katie Gayle has scored a winner with the character of Julia Bird, a 60 something, newly divorced retired social worker. I really loved her character as she tries to settle into her new life in a Cotswold village. The setting was idyllic, I’m not sure that such a place actually exists outside of murder mysteries but it is lovely to read about them.
I liked the way that the mystery unfolded and the way that Julia stayed involved with the investigation seemed to be plausible which is often not the case in this type of mystery. I also enjoyed the depiction of the police detective Hayley Gibson and feel that the development of the working relationship between her and Julia has a good prospect in future novels. There are lots of interesting and likeable secondary characters including a handsome doctor who is a widower and the local handyman who is deaf and doesn’t wear his hearing aids very often! My favourite character was definitely the Labrador puppy who will be instantly recognisable by anyone who has owned a puppy that insists on chewing everything in sight.
This was a really enjoyable read and I am grateful to Net Galley and the publishers Bookouture for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this book, I want to live in Berrywick and volunteer in the charity shop. I really enjoyed the characters and the book was well paced with little turns that kept you guessing who may have done it and the motive. I can’t wait for the next book to be released. Highly recommend this book. Will definitely be looking for the next in the series to read. Thank you for net galley and the author for letting me read an advanced copy

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of An English Garden Murder by Katie Gayle. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for providing an ARC to review.

I give this book a 3.5/5. I am a huge fan of cozy mysteries. So a new series written about murder in the Cotswalds discovered by a newly divorced and retired protagonist is right up my alley. It took a little bit of time to warm up to Julia, but once I did, I was actively rooting for her to figure out who was killing people in her new hometown. The final reveal was well done. I had figured out the killer before the reveal, but the reason why was unexpected. If I had any complaint, I would say there may be a few too many red herrings. But that was a minimal issue to my enjoyment of the story. I would read another book in the series in the future.

Retired, recently divorced social worker Julia Bird has moved into a cottage in the Cotswolds village of Berrywick. She's meeting her neighbors, joining local clubs, getting into a routine . . . and then, in the process of demolishing a shed in order to build a chicken coop, she discovers the body of a local woman who hasn't been seen in twenty years. Days later Julia discovers the dead woman's mother murdered, drowned in a local pond.

The Cotswolds setting is lovely, and it's nice to see a main character who's 60+. Julie is smart and friendly, and I found myself rooting for her as she tries making new friends and becoming part of her community while learning how to live on her own after decades of marriage. Nothing groundbreaking here, but it's a sweet series for readers who enjoy cozies and light mysteries set in an English village.

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Bookouture, in return for an honest review. I loved this first book in a new cozy, English countryside series and hope it continues for a very long run. Julia Bird is making her own life changes after having two major ones thrust upon her. She’s newly divorced and recently retired from her London career as a social worker under less than pleasant circumstances. As a result, Julia’s bought a cottage in the Cotswolds, near an old friend who underwent similar life changes. The book opens with the departure of Julia’s ex-husband and his fiancée from helping her move into the cottage. Given that his fiancée is a man, it’s been quite a change all around. Julia decides that country life includes gardens and chickens, so she wants a new chicken coop built in her back garden (yard for Americans). The local handyman is enlisted to build it and, when his young grandson arrives early, she sets him to pulling down the old shed. Unfortunately, demolition results in the discovery of human bones under the shed and Julia’s introduction to her neighbors isn’t quite as smooth as she’d have liked. On the plus side, she joins an interesting mystery book club and gets an adorably misbehaving chocolate lab puppy, as well as volunteering time at the local charity shop. So, other than that dead body, things are picking up for Julia!
Lovely story! It’s a well-written cozy with interesting characters, a good plot line and lots of fun bits. I look forward to the next in this series very much.

You know what? I really enjoyed this. Possibly because I can identify with Julia Bird, to a degree. Who wouldn't want to engage upon the quiet life in the country after a long career and a less than successful marriage? Not that I have had the marriage part, but retiring to the country sounds nice. I practically live there already. And as for everything that happens afterwards ... well. That's kind of how I'd expect my luck to go as well to be honest. Move anything in my back garden you are almost certain to dig up bones. Of the family pet variety rather than human, admittedly, but the sentiment is the same.

This is such a great mystery, well layered with a number of potential suspects, including the couple that Julia bought the cottage off who seem to have conveniently disappeared. Throwing herself into village life really puts her into the perfect position to start digging, not literally, into the case, albeit against the advice of the police. It allows her to unearth a whole host of clues, deep rooted secrets that someone will do anything to keep buried, even committing murder. |

Can I get anymore garden related puns/metaphors into this review? I can try.

Julia is a great character. Very down to earth (no pun intended that time) and such a relatable character that I really liked her from the off. She is naturally likeable, no need to force anything to fit in and being the new girl in town gives her, and us, the advantage as there is a certain expectation of curiosity. Not that everyone appreciates it and on more than the odd occasion you can feel that kind of jeopardy around Julia as people really want her to keep out of things. She also seems to have a kind of homing beacon when it comes to discovering bodies and it's no wonder that there are raised eyebrows about her own involvement in what is going on around town.

There is a wonderful thread of cosy romantic tinged moments as she finds herself growing closer to local Doctor and fellow book club member, Sean O'Connor, and some real moments of humour with her best friend Tabitha, as well as the expected gossip amongst the book group. It's not everyday they dig up bodies in the village afterall. You get the real sense of a close knit community and, in spite of the fact you know one of them is most likely guilty of murder, I couldn't help but like them. There is a real sense of place about the book too, the authors capturing that small village feeling, that shared history that Julia is just on the outside of. Not for long mind. There is nothing like living in a notorious cottage for making you the number one focus for all and sundry.

As with any mystery, the clues are all there as to who may have done what. If you are paying close attention, you'll probably work out part of what has happened, but perhaps not the whole picture. Certain parts of the story, certain clues and revelations, are kept to just the right moment, to keep us all guessing. There are some more poignant moments revealed too, ones which give us a better understanding of the characters involved in this sad tale.

This was a great little mystery with some brilliant and memorable characters, a sometimes emotional, often heartwarming but always entertaining read and I'm looking forward to seeing what mess Julia finds herself in next.

It's a cliche but it's true nonetheless. It was a book, "I didn't want to put down". I enjoyed all of it. Well Done @KatieGayleBooks.

The protagonist is so likeable. Despite a significant change in circumstances she chooses to remain positive and engaged with all. Her being a little older, and a retired social worker gives her the right credentials to engage with so many different kinds of people (including the police) and get them to confide in her. As you journey along with her, you are introduced to the many villagers along with their tendency to gossip, rumour monger and hold grudges!

As the story progresses, it's clear that the murders; old and new will be related, but just how took me a little longer to work out. I didn't work it all out but was chuffed with just how far I got!

Then there's the labrador. Oh my word, he's so unbelievably cute and cheeky. Thank goodness Julia determines that he is just the companion she needs. If you've had one (and I have) you'll know exactly what I mean.

I love the quirkiness of this team (Kate and Gayle) and how they refer to the other series they've authored, which is so different to this one, but equally enjoyable and highly recommended.

There just aren't enough stars for this one, so I can only give it FIVE!! I'm so looking forward to the next book in the series!!

My thanks to #NetGalley, @Bookouture and the author @KatieGayleBooks for my Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was an enjoyable start to a new series, a good story line that moved along quite quickly. Looking forward to more in the series.